74-year-old Wayne Winters spent hours walking along highways in his state with a sandwich board. It carried a short but despairing message “Need Kidney 4 Wife”.
After two years of unsuccessful search, the man started an unusual campaign to find a donor organ for his wife Deanne.
Over 100,000 Americans are in strong need of donor organs, most of them – of kidneys
By that time Deanne had had 5 kidney failure and was on dialysis. The couple was married for 26 years.
Driven by wife’s need for kidney, Utah man takes to streets to find one for her #WayneWinters https://t.co/MayNMq28SE
— nun ya (@luvinmysweetpea) October 27, 2017
According to American Transplant Foundation, more than 100,000 Americans are in strong need of donor organs, most of them – of kidneys.
Every ten minutes yet another name is added to the waiting list.
“If she can have a good five years, that would be awesome,” Wayne Winters said. https://t.co/tHJUuvIeae pic.twitter.com/uIhPI1z2uZ
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 9, 2017
Wayne tried to do his walks during rush hours so that drivers could slow down and read his plea.
He was receiving up to 800 phone calls a day
People were sympathetic to Wayne.
Some stopped their cars and offered him help, others called to express support and offer assistance.
I’m so happy for them. I guess I may need to try this myself. It couldn’t hurt??!!🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️💚💚… https://t.co/j4SPhjihu9
— Nikki B. MS, CCC-SLP (@PrettyPoodleSLP) November 9, 2017
I have found him.!! Wayne Winters from Ogden Utah and we talked today on the phone. We are going to work together and try to see if I am a match for his wife. He wants to Thank everyone that made this possible 🙏😇the last thing he said to was “I Love You “ 😂 Thank you 🙏 all https://t.co/FYkAXaqZ5z
— Stacy Edward Mozer (@EdwardMozer) October 26, 2017
In a little over a month, Winters’ walks panned out. He told was receiving up to 800 phone calls a day, and finally the donor was found.
Ironically, the kidney did not come from those calls.
Instead, it came from a donor who had died at the hospital.
Winters continues his mission and walks with the board again to help other people still waiting for donor kidneys
The surgery was a success and Deanne Winters is now recovering at the hospital.
But Wayne did not stop there.
Winters continues his mission and walks with the board again. His new message is “1,000 kidneys needed in Utah and Idaho”.
His new goal is to save lives of other people who are still waiting for a donor kidney.
Wayne Winters urges others to join to “start a kidney revolution”
Wayne actually says it is his life mission now.
“I will spend more of my days walking with my sign to see how many I can get,” Winters said in his interviews.
Video: fox13now.com
Wayne Winters urges all people to join him and, perhaps, to “start a kidney revolution”.
You go, Wayne!