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Inland Empire Man Uses Car to Advertise Need for Kidney


An advertisement was posted on a Inland Empire man’s vehicle — not to sell the car, but in an effort to find a kidney donor.

David Alcantar, 68, currently has diabetes, an amputated leg, and has needed to undergo kidney dialysis three times a week since July. The dialysis takes three hours per visit and he has to sit with a needle in his arm to clean his blood.

“An hour after I get home it hits me it drains me out. I can’t do nothing for a while,” Alcantar said. 

Now, the Mira Loma resident is in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

To receive a usable kidney is no easy task. Around 10,000 people are on the transplant list in Southern California, and according to the National Kidney Foundation, Alcantar is not the only patient taking matters into his own hands.

He placed an advertisement on his back windshield that reads: “I NEED A KIDNEY DONOR.” The graphic also states his blood type (O+) and his phone number (951-732-0759). 

“The wait for a kidney in SoCal is longer than the national average of two to five years,” Pier Merone, Executive Director of NKF, said. “SoCal is seven or more.”

Though Alcantar’s car may be a personal advertisement, it has also played a role in raising awareness for kidney donation. Living donors can drastically improve patient’s lives; and Alcantar knows that firsthand from his first kidney transplant 12 years ago.

“There’s a lot of people who would love to get a kidney and get their life back together without dialysis,” Alcantar said.

If you are interested in becoming a living donor, click here or call the toll free NKF Cares line at (855) 652-2272. Lines are open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST.


Source: NBC Los Angeles

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