Florida woman uses Craigslist in search of a new kidney
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You can find anything on Craigslist — modern furniture, a job, even a one-night stand -- but how about a kidney? Selina Hodge, a 28-year-old woman from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is hoping the answer is yes.
Hodge was born with spina bifida and has been on dialysis for failing kidneys for three years. She spends nine hours a day hooked up to a dialysis machine. She’s been on a donor waiting list for a new kidney since September, but says the average wait for a new kidney is three years. She has already reached out to family and friends for help, but couldn’t find a compatible donor.
Though Hodge spends a lot of time on Craigslist, it was her mother who suggested she take her search for a kidney to the free listings site. She tried in May and did not get much response. She posted her plea for help again — titling the post Young Female Needs Kidney -- on July 14 and, according to a local television news report, she has already received over 300 email responses with offers of help and prayers.
So how do you go about asking the Craigslist community for help with a kidney?
Hodge took a straightforward approach — writing a series of short sentences that clearly and specifically explain who she is and why she needs a kidney.
‘The scary thing I just found out is that being on dialysis can lead to heart problems, and like I mentioned earlier, I’ve been on dialysis for 3yrs now,’ she writes. ‘Please help me!’
You can read her full Craigslist post here.
Hodge is not the only person asking the Craigslist community for help with a new kidney. A woman named Beatriz, also in Florida, is posting for someone to help her find a new kidney for her aunt.
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-- Deborah Netburn
