Philadelphia kidney patient and advocate teams up with Spicybears for bag to raise awareness, save lives
A popular national brand has joined a Philadelphia kidney patient and advocate to raise awareness and save lives.
Antoine Johnson, a kidney failure patient on a mission to find more transplant donors and raise awareness, collaborated with Spicybears for a special bag.
Johnson said the new bags will help get the word out about his organization, A Kidney.
Johnson's life now depends on dialysis three times a week. He said the new bags will also be for other patients
"This is so important for people who are in dialysis," he said. "You have a companion now. You don't have to sit there alone."
Johnson, a Philadelphia public relations executive, said he feels lucky to be back at work. He was diagnosed with Stage 5 renal failure almost two years ago.
Beyond the dialysis, he needs a kidney transplant, which can come from either a living or deceased donor — and there aren't enough.
"People wait for a organ transplant for a long time, specifically for a kidney, anywhere between three and 10 years," Johnson said.
Doctors say African Americans are almost four times more likely to suffer from kidney failure than White people, and Black organ donations are much lower.
Johnson is aiming to change that, but he knows it's a big challenge
"You have to live every moment and every day like it's your last. Tell the people that are in your life that you love them," he said.
He'll be sharing that message with his new bags, which are designed to comfort and inspire.