Local veteran in search of a kidney donor
The grassroots campaign www.akidneyforallan.com hopes to receive enough visibility and awareness for a family in need of a kidney donor.
At 78 years old, army veteran and Long Island native Dr. Allan Krieger was always in perfect health until nine months ago when he was diagnosed with stage five renal failure and is in need of a kidney.
Faced with this heartbreaking situation, Krieger’s daughter Kira Krieger, a mother of two young children and unable to donate herself, turned to Facebook for help, launching a nationwide Facebook campaign to generate awareness, hoping that through continued Facebook sharing someone will come forward as a match.
Facebook has played an integral role in this campaign from early on. Kira conducted independent research on Facebook by polling living kidney donors. An amazing 62 percent responded that they found their recipient through a Facebook post. This astounding statistic does not surprise Kira, who has made countless connections through her Facebook campaign. In fact, the administrators of two other Facebook kidney campaigns pages have not only been sharing A Kidney for Allan Krieger posts but also advising and proving support along the way.
So far, the response has been overwhelming. The Facebook page A Kidney for Allan Krieger has reached an audience of more than 54,000 in just weeks and continues to gain momentum. Nine people have come forward; two are currently being tested at New York Presbyterian Well Cornell Hospital.
The success of her efforts are a testament to the depth and outreach of Facebook—from an initial post on Facebook addressing her father’s illness—as well as four other families who have executed similar kidney searches.
Krieger is seeking a donor with type A or O blood type. As Kira suggests in her campaign copy, if you cannot share your spare, then at least share her posts and messaging.
The family is based in New York and are looking for donor’s in the area as the surgery will take place at New York Presbyterian Well Cornell Hospital.
