BALTIMORE - For Edward Behn it was the death of a close friend, who had been his roommate and the best man at his wedding, that got him thinking about donating one of his kidneys.

Emmet Davitt saw it as an opportunity to do something nice for the young son of family friends after being blessed with good health for himself and his family.

Stacey Lichtman said it was hard to see her husband Carl go from being active - he played tennis and biked - to being sidelined by kidney disease.

Behn had no particular person in mind when he decided to donate. Davitt and Lichtman did, but neither of them could give to their intended...