Man Finds Kidney Donor Via Facebook

You might think of Facebook as a good place to check up on friends and to get in touch with old classmates or acquaintances…but it can come in handy for other reasons, too. Even the most unlikely reasons for using Facebook are becoming common–including finding a kidney.

For example, Damon Brown found a kidney donor via Facebook, even though he felt embarassed about his public plea for help. The 38-year-old and father of two young boys sent a message to his friends and family via the social networking site, and those people passed it on to everyone they knew. On January 3 last year, Brown found a donor–someone that he and his wife barely knew, but who was willing to donate her kidney so that Brown's children would have a father around. Before posting his message on Facebook, Brown was on a list for donor kidneys and had started dialysis, but was always tired and achy.

However, April Paschke, a spokeswoman for United Network for Organ Sharing says using social media to find organ donors isn't that uncommon. Before social networking sites people used church bulletins or word-of-mouth to find organ donors, but Facebook and other websites have really opened up the doors for those desperate for a donor organ. As for Brown, he says he wants to do whatever he can to help others in need of donor organs get the word out to those willing to help.