LOS ANGELES, Oct 31 — Actor Jesse Eisenberg has announced that he will donate one of his kidneys to a stranger in an act of pure altruism.
The 42-year-old Now You See Me: Now You Don’t star shared the news live on NBC’s Today show yesterday.
“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks,” he told the hosts, confirming that the procedure is set for mid-December.
Eisenberg said the idea came from his long-time habit of blood donation, which inspired him to take a bigger step.
“I got bitten by the blood donation bug,” he said, calling the kidney donation “a no-brainer” for anyone able to do it.
He explained that his donation would go to a stranger through a kidney exchange programme run by NYU Langone Health.
Under this system, non-directed donors help patients find matches across the country through a national kidney bank.
Eisenberg said he began exploring the idea a decade ago but only recently found the right medical connection to make it happen.
He added that family members of altruistic donors are protected through a voucher system should they ever need a transplant.
The actor, known for his role in The Social Network, said he hopes his decision will inspire others to consider organ donation.
