Cottage Grove Man Hopes Giant Kidney Cutout Saves His Life
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A Cottage Grove man hopes doing something "unusual" gets him the organ donation he so desperately needs.
Jim Gorbunow is 43 and needs a kidney transplant.
His need is so dire that he put a cutout of a kidney on his front lawn, hoping passersby stop and ask questions.
Gorbunow not only hopes to find a kidney to save his life, he also hopes to raise awareness about the need for donors.
This is not the first time around for Jim Gorbunow.
He had a double transplant back in 2000, when he received a kidney and a pancreas.
That pancreas stopped working in 2006 and he was able to get another one.
Now he hopes he is just as lucky in finding a kidney for a fourth transplant.
"It was just a clever way to come up with being able to spread the word," Gorbunow said. "I want to get awareness out there, and it's not just for me: I'm doing it for everybody out there who needs a transplant."
Gorbunow says his wife came up with the idea to advertise for a kidney with a kidney.
During the winter he made the kidney out of snow.
Both were the talk of town and sparked many to stop and ask questions about how they can help him and the thousands of others waiting for an organ transplant.
"If I could do just this one little thing to help 50 other people, then why not do it, why not help as many people as I can through my own situation," Gorbunow said.
For now, dialysis three hours a day, three times a week, and a handful of meds keep Gorbunow going.
"Dialysis is working, but I am only 43 years old, and if I had to spend the rest of my life on dialysis, it wouldn't be a very good quality of life, " said Gorbunow.
Gorbunow says his life flourished after his first transplant.
A new wife, a new home, and two loving pets--it's all something he says he doesn't want to lose.
"I've got a lot to live for: I got great family, great friends," he said.
He hopes his sign helps touch the heart of the person who will eventually become a donor.
Gorbunow knows without a kidney transplant, he could eventually be looking a renal failure.
He hopes his story gets people talking and tested to see if they can give the gift of life.
If you would like to help, you can contact Gobunow at kidney4jim@gmail.com.
