#19. Kidney Failure
Wayne and Deanne Winters have been happily married for 26 years and have been living out their lives in Farr West, Utah. Wayne, 74, was willing to go above and beyond to keep his wife happy and healthy, no matter what was required of him. So when he found out some terrible news he knew something had to be done.
Unfortunately, Wayne’s wife Deanne is battling with stage 5 kidney failure. “She’s on dialysis and she doesn’t like it, it’s horrible,” Winters told KSTU-TV. “This is the worst I’ve ever seen her. She don’t look good.”
#18. Worry
Wayne began to grow more and more concerned for his wife. He knew he had to do anything he could to help her. He became obsessed with the idea of finding a kidney donor that would be a perfect match for her. That was when he stumbled across an idea that changed him.
#17. Online Research
Wayne began to search for possible kidney donors and other alternative measures that could possibly help his wife. While doing all of this research, Wayne stumbled across the story of Larry Swilling, a North Carolina man. Swilling’s story resonated with Wayne in a way he never expected.
#16. Swilling’s Story
You see Swilling had a similar situation happen to him. His wife’s health was slowly falling apart and she needed a new kidney immediately. So Swilling decided to walk around town with a sign advertising that he was looking for a kidney donor.
#15. Great Idea
It turned out that Swilling’s sign ended up helping out his wife! After spending time walking around with the sign he was finally able to find a kidney match and his wife went through a kidney transplant that ultimately saved her life back in 2013.
#14. Inspired
Wayne was incredibly inspired by Swilling’s story so he decided to get to work crafting his own advertisement. Wayne took a large sandwich board and wrote a heartbreaking plea that nobody could ignore. So were the odds looking in his favor?
#13. Hardships
It is not easy to find an organ donor, especially for a kidney. Each year there are 3,000 new patients added to the waiting list for a kidney. According to the National Kidney Foundation 13 people die every day waiting for a kidney to become available. The wait can often take up to three years and Wayne knew his wife didn’t have the time to wait.
#12. The Sign
So Wayne crafted up a sign on a sandwich board with the following message: “NEED KIDNEY 4 WIFE.” The board also listed his phone number and his wife’s blood type: “A-”. “I didn’t know what to do,” Winters explained. “I felt like I needed to do something.”
#11. Long Days
In order to increase his wife’s chances of finding a matching and willing donor, Wayne stands outside on the streets of Farr West and walks up and down. He has walked many times during rush hour in the hopes that a stranger might reach out.
“They’re slowed down. They can look at my sign — they can’t go home in a hurry,” said Wayne, when asked about his choice to stand during rush hour.
#10. Overwhelming
“I don’t walk real fast,” Wayne said. “Look at this road, how busy it is from 3 to 6 o’clock; it’s just like this. I don’t know which way to face, so I just walk up and down,” he explained. Then something happened that Wayne didn’t expect.
#9. First Response
On his first day out a man had come up to him and inquired about the sign. Wayne explained his wife’s situation to him and the man told Wayne that he would offer to see if he would be a match. “I say ‘Deanne, I think we have a good chance of getting you a kidney,’” Wayne told Fox 13 Now.
#8. Hopeful
Wayne has expressed to the news station that all he wants is for his wife to get back to the person she used to be before her illness. “After I get a kidney, I will have my wife back the way she was — normal, helping people, loving people,” he told Fox 13 Now. “She likes to serve other people.”
#7. Community Outreach
Many people in the town have also reached out with words of kindness and encouragement to help Wayne throughout this hard period. “It’ll happen for you,” one woman said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. Other residents continue to give him hugs and whatever other support they can offer.
#6. Deanne’s Faith
Deanne continues to have faith in the entire situation and is pushing through it like a champ. She told KSL broadcasting that she has “faith and hope” that someone out there will be a kidney match for her. “I have a lot of living left to do,” she told the station.
#5. Non-Stop
Wayne refuses to stop walking around until he finally finds the match for his wife. He wants “the love of his life” back and healthy and he continues to walk up and down the road in hopes that someone out there is the right person for the situation. But, he’s also doing so much more as well.
#4. The Back
On the back of his sign that he walks around in is the following message: “1,000 kidneys needed in Utah and Idaho.” You see Wayne wants to make a difference in the lives of everyone out there looking for a kidney, not just his wife’s and he won’t rest until he helps make the world just a little bit better.
#3. The Vow
Wayne vows to continue advocating for kidney donors even after his wife receives one. He has said that it is now his life mission to help others who may be in a similar situation as his wife. “It’s my job to try and find kidneys for people,” Wayne said.
#2. Wayne’s Determination
“It’s overwhelming me a little bit,” he said. “But that’s a good thing,” he said, “If it will push more people to become living donors.” Now that pictures of him have begun going viral, Wayne has received more and more calls from people inquiring about how they can test to see if they are a possible match.
#1. True Love
Wayne has displayed true character and love for the woman he calls his wife. This story is incredibly inspiring and shows just how far a person will go for true love.
“She’s just a good person,” Wayne left off saying, “and everybody loves her.”