‘I was losing hope': SA woman receives dozens of potential donors for kidney transplant

SAN ANTONIO – After nearly five years fearing the possibility of never receiving a second kidney transplant that led to a state of depression, 23-year-old Nadia Gutierrez is now seeing life beyond the one she knows now. 

On Thursday, KSAT.com first brought the story of Gutierrez who began using her car as a form of advertisement to seek potential kidney donors, writing on her back window: “Need Kidney. O +/= 210-636-7972.”

Gutierrez's car was seen by a KSAT viewer on the road and later shared a photo to KSAT.com.

ORIGINAL STORY: 'Need Kidney': SA woman using message on her car in hopes of finding donor

And after publishing her story on KSAT.com, Gutierrez said she went from less than a handful of people over five years to more than 40 potential donors in just a matter of days. 

“You know, honestly, I was starting to lose hope,” Gutierrez said. “It’s been overwhelming and it brought my hopes up that there are good people or at least willing to try to be a match.” 

Gutierrez, who was diagnosed with “end-stage renal disease” at age 14, had received a kidney from her father but when she turned 18, her body rejected the transplant.

Since then, Gutierrez has been undergoing dialysis five times a week, two-and-a-half hours a day for nearly five years while waiting on several lists for her second kidney transplant.  

But after spreading her message, Gutierrez said people from as far as Oaxaca, Mexico, to Houston have been calling and messaging her almost non-stop to donate the kidney she desperately needs. 

“I am very grateful for them to have reached out to me and for all their prayers,” Gutierrez told KSAT.com. 

Gutierrez said that because she was losing hope of never finding a donor, she contemplated about taking down the message on her car this time last week.

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“I was about to take off the sign but I couldn't because of the rainy days. But I was about to take it down (and) I was just waiting for a good day to wash my car…I’m glad I didn’t,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez told KSAT.com that potential donors are now in the testing process and hopefully, the next step is receiving a call for her long-awaited kidney transplant surgery date.

SAN ANTONIO STORY IDEAS & TIPS, EMAIL: agarcia@ksat.com