‘Need kidney 4 my wife.’ Husband holds sign on Ohio corner to find donor for wife

A man in Ohio is doing everything he can to find a kidney donor for his wife — including standing on the side of the road with a sign.

Earlier this year, doctors told Keli Thorn she is in end-stage renal failure and in desperate need of a kidney transplant, WCPO reported. Without one, she’d have to start dialysis.

Initially her husband, Aaron, took to social media to find a donor, but this weekend he tried a different approach: standing at a Hamilton intersection with a side that reads “Need kidney 4 my wife,” according to the outlet.

“The only way I knew to do it was get a sign and go hit the road,” Aaron told WKRC. “I believe people are willing to help if they know.”

Keli is mother to four children — ages 11 to 21 — and is no stranger to difficult circumstances, according to the family’s website. Keli’s mom died of breast cancer and her sister nearly lost her life to the same disease. Aaron has also suffered five strokes, WKRC reported.

Keli says it’s been touching to watch Aaron champion her cause despite his own health issues.

“To watch him the last couple of months just kind of jump in there and spread the word, and even though he’s been through a rough year, it’s meant a lot,” Keli told WKRC.

Keli’s blood type is A+, which means she can receive a kidney from donors with blood types A+, A-, O+ and O-, according to the /National Kidney Foundation.

But while the Thorns have yet to find an exact match, they say they have another option: the Paired Exchange Program.

The Paired Exchange Program takes two incompatible recipient and donor pairs and essentially “swaps” the donors. For instance, if a wife needs a kidney but her husband is incompatible, the program would match them with another donor and recipient pair. The husband would give his kidney to the recipient and the wife would receive a kidney from the other donor, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Aaron says he’s willing to do anything to find his wife a kidney.

“Whatever it takes,” he told WCPO. “As long as it takes. Wherever we have to go, we’ll find one. I’m very confident we will.”

For more information or to donate to the Kidney for Keli campaign, click here.

This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 12:18 PM with the headline "‘Need kidney 4 my wife.’ Husband holds sign on Ohio corner to find donor for wife."