Man finds kidney donor for wife after wandering miles every day for two years
KEY POINTS
- Wayne Winters spent two years looking for a donor for his wife.
- The couple's plight went viral following a local news station's report.
An elderly US man who walked for miles every day to find a kidney donor for his wife has finally discovered a match.
Wayne Winters, 74, from Farr West, Utah, wandered up and down US highways for two years in an attempt to help his wife, Deanne, who was undergoing dialysis. Using a board strapped to his body he made his appeal to drivers in the hope that one of them would be able to help.
Wayne and his wife gained the attention of millions around the world after a local news station reported on their plight. Following an interview he was inundated with messages of support.
"Between 7pm and 7pm, it filled my phone up. I'm sitting here with this full phone," he said to Fox 13.
Just three weeks later he was contacted by doctors to say a match had been found: "We have a kidney for you, get down here."
A suitable kidney donor had passed away which allowed his wife to receive the vital surgery. She is now recovering in hospital following her operation on Sunday (November 8).
The couple have been married for 26 years and Wayne hopes they can stay together for just a bit longer.
"If she can have a good five years that would be awesome, we can have our life back," Winters said.
Winters hasn't given up his mission just yet despite his success – he continues to walk on in an attempt to encourage others to become be organ donors.
"I will spend more of my days walking with my sign to see how many I can get," Winters said. "Think about it, we could start a kidney revolution, and that would be so great."
