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Bay City Hero: How One Man Wants to Save the Lives of 100 Children!
A Michigan man saves a girl's life through kidney donation and launches an organ donation initiative for children.
Bay City Hero: How One Man Wants to Save the Lives of 100 Children!
What happens when a small act of kindness saves a child's life? Brian Martindale of Bay City, Michigan can answer that question. In 2013, while looking for gum in a grocery store, he spotted a desperate picture crying for help in the local newspaper: a girl in a princess dress in desperate need of a kidney transplant. The young Jessica Schwerin was just ten years old. Moved by her fate, Martindale decided to donate a kidney in turn - without ever having met her before. This decision would prove to be life-changing for the child and the impetus for Martindale to launch a mission that transcends the local.
To make this mission even more meaningful, Martindale founded the national Driving for Life initiative in 2022. The goal? Finding 100 kidneys for 100 children. Over the past four years, Martindale has traveled over 26,000 miles to recruit potential organ donors and raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. He has already completed over 25,000 miles in 2025 alone and is determined to continue his journey. “We circled the globe to find kidney donations for children,” Martindale said. Those interested can find more information about kidney donation on the website kidneysforkids.org.
Growing need for organ donations
In Germany the situation is only slightly different. There is also a shortage of donor organs in this country, which means that many people have to wait for an organ. The need for education and more donors is great because every organ donated saves lives. According to statistics from organspende-info.de Many patients urgently need a transplant; their fates are on a knife's edge.
A ray of hope for those affected
Stay informed and get involved in this important cause - because human lives are at stake. This is the message that Brian Martindale conveys, as living proof of his own decision. Each of us can make a difference, no matter how small the beginning may be!