06/03/2026
Thirteen people die every day waiting for a kidney transplant in America.
Nearly 96,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant today, almost 2000 of those are kids.
In 2026, we are driving 12,000 miles across 33 cities to change that — and we need you beside us.
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THE STORY BEHIND THIS MISSION
In 2013, I donated my kidney to a 10-year-old girl named Jessica Schwerin whom I had never met. She lived four blocks from my home. The odds of the match were one in 100,000.
Today, Jessica is 24 years old, pursuing a doctorate in Neuroscience, and serving on the Board of Directors of Kidneys for Kids.
That one decision — one ordinary person saying yes — is why everything we are doing in 2026 exists.
My name is Brian Martindale. I am the Executive Director and Founder of Kidneys for Kids, and a living kidney donor. And this year, we are asking America to break a record that has never been broken.
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THE DRIVE TO 7000
The United States has never recorded 7,000 living kidney donations in a single year. Our annual average has been between 6,000 and 6,500.
We are currently on track to surpass 6,850 in 2026. Seven thousand is within reach. For the first time in American history, it is genuinely possible — and every donation you make to this campaign helps us get there.
This summer, the Kidneys for Kids Drive to 7000 team is:
🚗 Driving 12,000 miles through 33 major American cities — visiting partner transplant hospitals, hosting donor recruitment events, and sitting down with families whose children are waiting for a kidney
🎬 Filming every mile as a feature documentary film AND a 33-episode television series
📺 Broadcasting live from each city on the Good Karma Entertainment Network — reaching viewers in 14 countries and all 50 states on Roku worldwide
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THE DARKER THE NIGHT — OUR FILM
"The darker the night — the brighter the light."
The Darker the Night is our feature documentary film, chronicling the stories of children and adults battling kidney disease — and finding the light on the other side of a living donor transplant.
🎥 Theatrical premiere: March 11, 2027 — World Kidney Day 📱 Available on Amazon Prime Video — confirmed 🎞️ Netflix contact active through our film distributor 📺 33-episode television series — confirmed for Amazon Prime Video; one episode per city visited this summer
Filming has already begun. One of our stories from NYU Hassenfeld Children's Hospital was featured on Good Morning America.
Nephrologist Dr. Mona Devang Doshi, MBBS has joined as Chief Medical Advisor for the film and TV series — bringing world-class nephrology expertise and clinical authenticity to every story we tell.
The title comes from the song The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Light — written and performed by Chaplain Ed Gilbert — whose music became the soul of this project. It is the story of every family waiting. And of every donor who said yes.
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WHAT YOUR DONATION FUNDS
Every dollar you give goes directly toward:
✅ The 12,000-mile Drive to 7000 summer journey — fuel, production, and event costs across 33 cities ✅ The Darker the Night film and TV series production ✅ Family financial assistance grants — up to $1,000 per family for costs insurance doesn't cover ✅ The Healthy Minds — Healthy Bodies community kidney health program in cities across the country ✅ Live broadcasts on the Good Karma Entertainment Network reaching donors wherever they are ✅ Educational outreach and donor recruitment events in every city we visit
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WHO IS STANDING WITH US
The Drive to 7000 has the support of some of the most respected organizations in the kidney and transplant community:
American Nephrology Nurses Association (A.N.N.A.) • National Kidney Registry • COTA • Transplant Teenz • Kidney Solutions • National Kidney Donor Organization (NKDO) • Kidneys for Kindness • The Kidney Search Foundation • The Great Social Experiment • The Dove Foundation for Vets • The YNott Foundation
And we are proud voting members of OPTN — the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network — helping govern all organ transplants in the United States.
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THE CHILD WAITING RIGHT NOW
Children like 2-year-old Luna Miller — who received her living donor transplant last July — are proof that ordinary people can become extraordinary heroes.
But for every Luna who found her donor, there is a child who is still waiting. Still on dialysis. Still watching the clock between treatments. Still hoping that someone — somewhere — will say yes.
Your donation today keeps our team on the road, the cameras rolling, and the message reaching the potential donors who haven't heard it yet.
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WHY ZEFFY
When you donate through Zeffy, Kidneys for Kids receives 100% of your donation. Not 97%. Not 95%. Every single dollar. Zeffy covers all platform fees so your gift goes entirely to the mission.
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FAST FACTS — LIVING KIDNEY DONATION
• Donating a kidney does not affect your life expectancy
• Insurance covers 100% of the donor's surgery — it is free to give
• Donors go home in 1–3 days and reach full recovery in 4–6 weeks
• A living donor kidney lasts 15–20 years vs. 8–12 for a deceased donor kidney
• You have two kidneys. You only need one.
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DONATE NOW — AND HELP US REACH 7,000
To give, donate here on Zeffy. To learn more: kidneysforkids.org To get involved: [email protected] To call us directly: (989) 493-6111
Kidneys for Kids | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit | EIN: 88-2341457 | Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency | Bay City, Michigan
Thank you — from Brian Martindale, Living Kidney Donor, and the entire Kidneys for Kids family.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/kidneys-for-kids-drive-for-more-life-campaign-2
