Woman in Need of Kidney Uses Her Car to Advertise
Photo: NBC2 News
Some drivers use their cars to display lighthearted bumper stickers or window decals, or to advertise for their personal business. Florida resident Julie Kroening and her husband are using their vehicles to advertise something more serious: a kidney transplant. The couple obtained the signs from an Etsy seller, as a way to help speed up the kidney donor match process.
Julie’s been on the donor list for three years. That might seem like an unusually long time to wait, however, according to the National Kidney Foundation, the average wait for a first kidney transplant is 3.6 years. Each situation is different, though; the time varies according to the compatibility, health, and availability of organs. The organization also claims that 100,791 people in the U.S. are currently in need of a kidney transplant and that more than 3,000 new patients are added to the wait list each month.
The Kroening’s Chevy Equinox is just one of the two vehicles that they’re using to help advertise Julie’s need for a kidney.
Photo: NBC2 News
Although Julie’s had five people contact her saying they’ll donate a kidney, none of them have followed through. She relates, “You’d be surprised how many people say ‘oh, I’ll give you a kidney, I only need one,’ and then they don’t do anything.”
She and her husband continue to keep the advertisements on their vehicles, as they wait for the good news that could save her life. They are eager to have children and have a more normal life. Until then, Julie and her zero-functioning kidneys are relying on a dialysis machine to sustain her.
Photo: NBC2 News
Julie advises that those interested in donating should contact her doctor directly, since it’s legal protocol that the donor contact the hospital first, not the other way around.
We wish Julie and her husband the best of luck as they seek a happy ending to their challenging life chapter.
News Source: NBC2 News, National Kidney Foundation
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