NORFOLK, Va. — One man is on a nationwide mission to find people willing to donate a kidney to children in need of a transplant. Along the way, he made a stop in Norfolk.
Brian Martindale, the executive director of the non-profit organization Kidneys for Kids, visited the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD) on Friday morning to share his experience as a donor.
Friday's visit to CHKD is a part of Kidneys for Kids' 2024 Driving for Life trip. This trip is a 10,000-mile tour that visits 22 cities to meet with a family whose child needs a kidney transplant and inform residents about their search.
Martindale's experience as a living kidney donor in 2013 inspired him to found the non-profit organization in 2022. Since then, he has worked to increase the number of kidney donors available for children in need of a transplant and advocates for families who are still searching for that life-saving donation.
Kidneys for Kids' mission also works to raise awareness and educate people on the importance of kidney donation, especially for pediatric patients, and to offer resources and support to donor families and children in need of transplants.