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Family's Mobile Kidney Donor Request Goes Viral

Posted at 1:09 PM, Apr 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-18 19:45:50-04

A family's mobile request for a kidney donation has gone viral on Twitter. A Dickson County mom has been looking for a life saver. 

Right now in the United States, there are nearly 100,000 people who are waiting for a kidney transplant. 

"It's an ongoing war inside of my body, and all of the symptoms, it's just totally overwhelming," Rhianna Seaborn said.

Seaborn is suffering from stage 5 kidney failure. 

"When I was ten, I knew my kidneys were failing," Seaborn said.

Twenty years later, she is looking for a donor so she can avoid dialysis and watch her young daughters grow up.

"It's exhausting because I feel like I'm missing out on the most precious years of their life right now," Seaborn said.

A few days ago, she received an invaluable feeling... hope. 

"It's just a picture of my dad's car, and the guy who tweeted it. It says 'twitter do your thing,'" Seaborn said.

That stranger's tweet in Cookeville went viral. Seaborn said, "And so far it's been retweeted over 33,000 times." 

In big white letters on the back of her dad's SUV it says "DAUGHTER NEEDS KIDNEY BLOOD TYPE A+/- or O+/- CALL/TEXT 615-594-4656."

A dad's plea that has stolen the hearts of many. Dozens of people wanting to help have reached out to Seaborn. 

"For the past two days, I've woke up to at least ten text messages from people all over the U.S. wanting to donate to me," Seaborn said.

For Seaborn's family, this story rings all too familiar. Her younger sister's kidneys failed, too.

"So she had to do dialysis when she was about nine, and my dad was actually a perfect match to her so he gave her a kidney in 1999," Seaborn said.

Like he saved one daughter, he's trying to save the other. 

"You wonder every day if you're going to get the phone call that they have a kidney for you and you can be on your way to a while new life…" Seaborn said.

Through Vanderbilt University Medical Center, you can donate a kidney to Seaborn directly. Generally, as a donor it comes at no monetary expense.

The first step is filling out a survey.

You an also go online and register to become a organ donor to the tens of thousands waiting for a kidney.