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Kokomo man puts up sign asking for kidney donor for wife

KOKOMO (WISH) — A creative sign on the back of a car is starting to get a lot of attention from drivers in Kokomo.

Jim Spier has been married to his wife Katherine for almost 30 years. He told 24-Hour News 8 his wife has kidney disease.

Jim said she has been waiting for a matching donor with no luck. But this time around, he’s hoping to try something different to give his wife a second chance at life.

Spier has been driving around town in his green Honda truck with a sign on the back for almost a month now.

“I didn’t have it on there for very long and then we started to get some response,” said Jim Spier. “The sign seemed to be getting some interest and it gives us hope.”

The sign didn’t cost much to make and reads, “Wife Needs Kidney Donor. Blood Type O.”

“When you get married at first it’s just romance and all that stuff, then as the years passed you become life partners,” said Spier. “You help each other through whatever happens. You know we didn’t want this to happen, but it happened. It’s my job to take care of her.”

Jim said his wife has been sharing her journey and story with others on Facebook.

Katherine said she was reading a story about a woman from Colorado who found a matching donor using the same method. The couple knew they had to try.

“Every time our phone rings he says ‘it’s a kidney!’ He is really, you know, rooting for me to get a kidney,” said Katherine Spier. “He’s a wonderful husband.”

Jim said life hasn’t been easy. He knows that many others are going through the same thing waiting for a matching donor.

“It’s easy to get discouraged when you got to do this dialysis every day,” said Spier. “You think maybe I’ll never get a kidney, but there’s always a chance you will.”

Jim said he’s not giving up hope. He’s praying for a miracle for his wife and for others.

“I’m hoping she can get a kidney so we can have many more years together,” said Spier. “We don’t want it to end before it should.”

Jim and Katherine told 24-Hour News 8 they are grateful after receiving several calls already from people interested in helping.

Click here to read about Katherine’s Kidney Journey.

Click here to learn how you can become a kidney donor.