By Jonathan Drew
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Kathy Lazar was devastated two years ago when blood tests determined she couldn't give a kidney to her husband.

Ron Lazar, 55, of North Canton, wakes at 6 a.m. three times a week for four-hour dialysis treatments.

"We just want to live our normal lives if we can," said Kathy Lazar, 52.

She said a kidney registry the Ohio Health Department announced Friday could be a possible solution for the couple.

The registry is for people who need kidneys and relatives or friends who are willing to donate but cannot because of incompatible blood types. A computer program matches a transplant candidate and willing donor with a compatible pair in the same situation, spokeswoman Michelle LoParo said.

If a matching pair is found for the Lazars, Kathy would donate her organ to the other kidney patient and Ron would receive a kidney from that patient's relative or friend.

Nine of 11 Ohio hospitals that perform organ transplants will participate in the registry.

Previously, Ohio hospitals didn't have an organized system to share information on living kidney donors and patients.

Friends and family of kidney patients are the most common source of living kidneys, said Dr. Mitchell Henry, director of clinical transplantation at Ohio State University Medical Center.

Kathy Lazar said she is eager for the transplant as soon as the program gets off the ground.

"I wouldn't even think twice," she said.

The registry would be separate from lists for people waiting to obtain organs from people who died.

The registry computer program matches pairs based on factors including blood type, age, distance from each other and amount of time waiting for a transplant.

Officials hope the registry will identify at least 10 potential paired exchanges a month and doctors perform four transplants a month.

"Without this computer system, we'd have to sit at our kitchen tables at night and do those 5,000 matches," said Dr. Michael Rees, director of renal transplantation at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo.