Retired Engineer's Life Saving Quest to Find Living Kidney Donor

Don Brown has spent years helping others. Now he is in a race against time to find a donor who will save his life.

DOYLESTOWN, Pa., April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Don Brown is a seventy-four-year-old engineer from Doylestown, PA, who after retirement in 2014 dedicated his life to enriching the community. From creating a support group for widows and widowers, a real estate program to help buyers obtain affordable housing, to coaching young people interested in starting their own businesses, Brown's passion for helping others knows no bounds.

Now Don needs the community to help. What Brown could not have foreseen was that he would develop kidney disease. Today, facing Stage Five kidney disease, he is desperately trying to find a living kidney donor, and taking some creative steps to make that a reality.

"There are over 100,000 people per year in the U.S. waiting for a kidney transplant. Sadly, only around 6,800 people a year actually donate. Those are not the greatest odds. I realized I had to be aggressive in reaching out to everyone through social media and advertising campaigns," Brown said.

"With help from many talented people, we created Facebook ads, roadside billboards, print publicity and radio ads. These campaigns generated a number of donor offers. Unfortunately, none so far has qualified as a living kidney donor," he added.

Brown said he must keep his marketing campaign going, hoping to find a person qualified to be a living kidney donor and save his life.

Ned Brooks, founder of a non-profit organization National Kidney Donation Organization (NKDO)—helps people such as Brown maximize their chances of receiving a kidney from a living donor. (Brooks is also a kidney donor.)

"In my own experience as a kidney donor, and helping others donate and receive kidneys, I can tell you it is a transformative experience. It is life-changing knowing that because of giving up just one of your kidneys—and you only need one and it doesn't have to be a match—you literally can save someone's life," Brooks said.

Dr. Abigail Marsh, author and professor at Georgetown University, studies empathy and altruism through brain imaging. "Many donors find they continue to want to help. Many also say it was an incredibly meaningful experience that they would gladly repeat if they had another kidney to give," Dr. Marsh said.

Brooks added that the NKDO provides resources to make the donation process seamless. And the National Kidney Registry (NKR), covers all costs of the potential donor not covered by insurance.

Broadway actor, film and recording artist, George Dvorsky, answered the call for a kidney donation in 2022. "I heard about a mutual friend who needed a living kidney donor and I asked myself, 'Why not?' I knew I could do just fine with one kidney. I believe that kindness is something missing from our world today and donating my kidney was the least I could do," said Dvorsky.

"I am hoping someone will read my story and agree to donate their kidney so I avoid dialysis or death and live a full life. If that happens, I will continue to help others and educate the public about the benefits of kidney and organ donation," Brown said.

To become a living kidney donor to help save Don Brown's life, his website—www.kidney2don.com, is where potential donors can fill out a form to start the donation process.

Editor's note: Don Brown is available for interviews upon request.

SOURCE Kidney2Don.com