Man uses truck decal to attract potential kidney donors

MESA, Ariz. (KPHO) - A man in Arizona who desperately needs a kidney transplant is hitting the streets with an approach to try and find a donor that involves a pickup truck, a car decal and a lot of hope.

There is no shortage of people that need a new kidney but there aren’t that many people that use the back of their truck to help them get one.

Nino Digiulio is hoping that a little creative self-promotion in the form of a car decal will help set him apart.

“I was like ‘What?’ At first, I was a little apprehensive,” Digiulio said.

The idea of the car decal originated a few months ago from Digiulio’s sister Laura Farrell and it didn’t take long for it to literally stick.

“Every time you drove somewhere, people would see it,” she said.

The decal says “I NEED A KIDNEY. CAN U HELP?” along with an email address to reach out, Beemydonor@gmail.com.

Up until now, there have been no offers of donating a kidney to Digiulio, but he has received some emails with words of encouragement.

“It means everything. When I’m down and thinking about it and thinking there’s no hope, getting an email really, really helps. It keeps me going,” he said.

The emails keep Digiulio going through the three rounds of dialysis he receives each week and the uncertainty of when or if that new kidney will ever come.

Digiulio, however, and his sister, back in their hometown of Houston, Texas, continue to keep fighting.

“I feel like there’s a plan for my brother. I’m very hopeful,” Farrell said. “And I’m confident. I think there’s somebody out there ... The right person for him to donate their kidney.”

Digiulio has his name on a kidney donor list and the wait is estimated to be three to seven years.

He hopes maybe the car will make that donor appear sooner. If it does, expect the back of that car to look a little different.

“I think I might change it, and say something like, ‘Thanks for your help. I found a kidney donor.’ Something like that,” Digiulio said.

Digiulio said that once he gets that new kidney, one of the first things he wants to do is travel to Texas and spend a whole lot more time with his family.