Thousands Ask to Donate Kidney to Georgia Cop

The family of a Georgia police officer in stage 5 kidney failure has been overwhelmed by the response to their call for help, WSB-TV reports.

Nearly 3,000 people have called Emory University Hospital and asked to be tested for a match to Raleigh Callaway, a 24-year veteran of the Greensboro Police Department. The hospital told WSB that the ten most promising candidates are being given extra tests to find a perfect match for Raleigh, who will be placed on the transplant list this week if all goes well.

Callaway’s kidneys need to stave off dialysis until late September, because the officer was never vaccinated against or contracted chickenpox. His last series of vaccinations will occur on Aug. 25, and it takes a month for the antibodies to fully populate his immune system. If Callaway has to undergo dialysis before Sept. 25, his transplant may be delayed.

Callaway is blood type AB+, meaning he can receive blood from anyone, however, the greatest indicator of a match for a kidney transplant is how donor antibodies and patient antibodies interact with one another. A simple blood test can determine this.

83 people who called Emory inquiring about donating a kidney to Callaway decided to donate a kidney to a complete stranger, WSB said. Please call the hospital’s transplant center at 855-366-7989 if you are interested in becoming a live organ donor.

The average recovery time for someone who donates a kidney is around three to seven days, and costs can be reimbursed through insurance.

To learn more about Callaway’s battle against kidney failure and organ donation in general, you can attend a fundraiser for Callaway on Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Anita White Carson Middle School in Greensboro.