Man gets new kidney in Detroit after girlfriend's daughter makes 'single dad needs kidney' sign

Man's girlfriend's daughter drives around with unique sign in back windshield

DETROIT – Local 4 has learned the story of a man in need of a kidney transplant, his donor, who doesn't want to be identified, and the girl who brought them together.

Ryan, a father of three, had a failing kidney and dialysis on the horizon. His girlfriend's 19-year-old daughter had an idea.

"He means so much to me," Lillian said.

She had an idea for an unusual mobile billboard, which struck a chord with a lot of people. She drove around with a sign in her back window that said, "Single dad needs a kidney."

The family said 215 people called offering to donate a kidney.

Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital finalized one donor as a perfect match, and two weeks ago they performed the transplant.

"It's amazing that someone would do this," Ryan said.

Now the donor is wearing an organ-shaped necklace, which was a special gift from Ryan's family. They said the kidney necklace is the least they could do after she gave Ryan a real kidney.

"It's the greatest thing I've done in my life," the donor said.

You can watch Jason Colthorp's full story in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Jason is Local 4’s utility infielder. In addition to anchoring the morning newscast, he often reports on a variety of stories from the tragic, like the shootings at Michigan State, to the off-beat, like great gas station food.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.