Podcast guest: Connecticut paid leave covers organ donors and allows nonrelative caregivers to take leave

Ellie Doyle, a Connecticut-based content creator, told the Paid Leave Podcast that Connecticut’s paid leave program would have changed her family’s experience when she donated a kidney to her sister.

Host Nancy Barrow said the program provides income replacement of up to 12 weeks for organ donation for both donor and recipient when both live in Connecticut. Doyle described a six-month testing process and a donor surgery during the COVID period; she said both donor and recipient recovered and that clinical indicators such as glomerular filtration rate were good.

Doyle contrasted that outcome with her experience in Florida, where she said she and her family did not receive comparable income-replacement benefits. She praised Connecticut paid leave for allowing caregiving by people who are not blood relatives — "you don't need to necessarily need to be blood related to someone," she said — which she called especially important for people who have left family behind. Barrow also noted the program can apply when care is needed for someone in another state, subject to the treating provider’s documentation of need.

The podcast included a brief reference to income-replacement calculations, but the recording’s figures were unclear; the hosts did not provide a definitive, auditable wage-replacement formula in the episode. For exact eligibility, benefit amounts and calculation methods, the hosts directed listeners to ctpaidleave.org.

The episode frames Connecticut paid leave as a policy that supports both donors and a broader set of caregivers and urges listeners to consult official resources for program specifics.