A Colorado man is trying to save his wife’s life.
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Bob Stewart’s wife, Michelle, needs a kidney. Now. His blood type isn’t a match, so he can’t donate one of his own kidneys. But he knows that someone somewhere is a match — and he’s determined to find them.
After appeals in the media didn’t result in a donor, the Colorado man attached a sign to the back of his truck three weeks ago.
“I thought, maybe a couple people will come forward,” Stewart told The Denver Post.
But then last weekend, a Reddit user snapped a picture of the truck and posted it online with, “This guy needs some help…seen on the way to work today.” The response from Reddit users was incredible. Within 24 hours, the hospital where Stewart’s wife, Michelle, is on the transplant waiting list was deluged with calls.
And yesterday, the Stewarts reported that several people have come forward and are being assessed as possible donors.
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In a statement on Imgur, Michelle Stewart describes what her life has been like since being diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus at the age of 13: “Since then, I have survived two comas, a stroke, seizure, chemotherapy, and temporary paralysis.”
About 3,000 new patients are added to the waiting list for kidney transplants every month.
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According to the National Kidney Foundation, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant in the U.S. And about 3,000 new patients are added to that list every month. That’s about one new patient every 14 minutes.
“For a person with Michelle’s blood type, the average wait time for a kidney transplant is about four years” — about twice as long as the wait time in nearby states.
“Multiple times my parents were told that my life would be ending, and thus far I have beaten the odds,” she said. Her husband is fighting to make sure she continues beating the odds.
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#57: The Dad who Challenged Amazon << 100 Acts of Male Goodness >> #59: Students Build Laundry Van for Homeless People
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Photos: DJAudible/Reddit and Michelle Stewart/Imgur