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Need A Kidney? Just Ask Facebook

Need A Kidney? Just Ask Facebook

Facebook LogoWhile social networks are known for reuniting lost family members and organizing protests against dictators, it looks like they may also help those seeking an organ to skip the waiting lists.

After suffering a stroke as well as being told by doctors that he could expect a kidney within a few years at best, Jeff Kurze’s wife became desperate to find a donor for her husband and decided to turn to her Facebook friends for help.

“Wishing a kidney would fall out of the sky so my husband can stop suffering,” Roxy Kurze, a 30-year-old web designer, wrote on her Facebook wall. “So if anyone knows of a live donor with type O blood, PLEASE let me know.” […]

Then she got a private message from Ricky Cisco, a 25-year-old comedian she met once through work. (ABC News)

To make a long story short Jeff was able to receive a life saving kidney, saving him from having to spend the next few years on dialysis.

While stories like these are probably more common than we think, it would be great if Facebook created a way for organ donors and patients to securely connect with each other in order to reduce the waiting lists.

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Since Facebook already boasts around 600 million users, the company could use their social graph to help find suitable matches from willing participants, a feat which would help distinguish the company from rivals.

If Facebook (or a third party medial company) created a feature or app to do this, would you participate? Or would you prefer the traditional method (via wait lists) instead?

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