Oregon man begging on side of road for kidney
Earl Martinez, 28, "begs" for a kidneys long on Southwest 185th Avenue in Beaverton, Ore. / Ellen Hansen, KOIN
BEAVERTON, Ore. An Oregon man is begging on the side of the road in Beaverton, but he doesn't want your change.
"I definitely don't need money - I just need a kidney," Earl Martinez told CBS Affiliate KOIN.
The 28-year-old was born with a genetic kidney disease and has been receiving dialysis treatments four hours a day, three times a week for the past 18 months. He's been waiting more than a year to get a kidney transplant.
Martinez has a hereditary disease called Alport Syndrome, so his family can't donate a kidney to him. His only hope is to find a stranger to serve as donor.
He told KOIN correspondent Kacey Montoya he decided to try to find a donor by holding up a sign on the side of the road reading, "Need Kidney Donor."
"My insurance would cover all medical costs on my side and the donor's side," Martinez said. "The donor would have no medical costs at all."
You can learn more on his Facebook page.
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Oregon man on side of road begging for kidney