So…You Need A Kidney…

Once you reach the point where you have been accepted into a transplant program, it is time to get to work on finding a donor.

From my experience, there are a few different ways recipients can try to find a donor.

Story Time: Writing a long story about your struggles with kidney disease and how you need a kidney, is a great heartfelt way to connect with other people. Share your story once and then pin it to the top of your feed. Folks tend to skip posts with long dialogue but at the same time this gives you a landing spot to refer people to if they request additional information. You can send them to your pinned post on whatever social media platforms you use.

TIP: The more social media outlets you use the better. Use Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok as a start. Use video as much as possible.

Infographic: This was my preferred way to promote my need and had the best results. Create a picture of yourself. It can be crazy, risqué, common pic of you or anything you want. Whatever you feel comfortable with. Then include a quirky title to grab the viewers initial attention along with your picture. People tend to stop to look at a pic than a long text post.

Under the header, state exactly what it is that you need. Can be as simple as “I need a kidney!” The ”trap” has been set between your main heading, your pic and your need.

At the bottom, include the contact info where potential donors can call or email to get additional info.

TIP: If your hospital goes by initials, DO NOT USE THE INITIALS IN THIER CONTACT INFO!!! For instance, my hospital was “UK Hospital.” ””UK” is what the Universoty of Kentucky goes by. Received feedback from people saying they wish they could help but could not go to the UK (United Kingdom) and wished me the best of luck.

At the bottom put your name as it is listed with your hospital. I go by “Matt” but my first name is Robert. Always be as accurate as possible as sometimes you may only get one chance to get it right with a perfect match.

Here is an example of my infographic:

This generated interest from all over the country including Louisiana, California and New York.

Another strategy that I recently thought of but did not utilize is asking an anonymous donor (someone donating a kidney without a recipient) if you can have their voucher.

What is the National Kidney Voucher Program? The National Kidney Registry (NKR) Voucher Program allows a living kidney donor to choose the most convenient time frame for their kidney donation surgery and provide one or more vouchers to people who can then be prioritized to receive a living donor kidney through the NKR if/when they need a transplant.

I was lucky enough to have met Sarah J. Johnson through a friend who tried to donate to me but we were not a 100% match. She donated to the NKR and I received her voucher.

I never reached out to an anon donor amd not 100% sure how to do it but I am thinking about and working on a way to make this more possible.

Walking Billboard: If you go to high populated areas (theme parks, grocery stores, malls, etc.) you can have a brief message or your info graphic printed on the back of a tshirt. At this point, this is probably not the best idea as being in public areas may hinder your health even more. This was a popular means prior to the internet. It’s not bad, just not the best.

Local Media: Send your story to local tv and radio stations. It is possible they may reach out to interview you for a story. They are always looking for stories showing the more “human” side of people.

By no means is this a complete list. Get creative. Ask questions and for help

getting the word out. I hate to say this but in a way you are competing with others. It sucks but unfortunately this is what we have.

Please leave any comments or questions below. I will always do what It can to help!

Love yourself!