A man from New York with kidney illness draws attention by using Times Square billboard for seeking kidney donor.
Marc Weiner former news executive and cancer survivor underwent treatment with bladder cancer in 2015. Doctors removed two kidneys with infected organ. Although, as of now, he is cancer free now and dialysis is performed thrice a week.
The people and tourists around times square have embraced by seeing the advertisement as “My name is Marc, I need a Kidney, YOU can Help!” reads the billboard that shows his smiling face beaming high above New York.
The ad runs every 7 minutes for about 20 seconds. Enough to capture the attention of tourists, who called it a bright idea.
Moreover, the attention is paying off, Marc Weiner says. The billboard went up less than week ago, and they’ve already had eight potential donors sign up for testing.
“Receiving a kidney transplant would put my life on a positive path,” he wrote. “I’d be healthy, could resume work and activities, I could spend more time with family and friends.”
Rick Del Mastro is CEO of the national billboard company that controls this specific spot on Broadway. He says he’s glad to help provide a platform for Weiner’s message. But “what we really want now is that home run, that he finds that donor.”
His daughter, Dawn Del Mastro-Chruma, is president of the same billboard company, and has known Marc’s wife, Lisa Weiner, for decades.
However, the billboard will be up until Weiner finds a donor, the owners say, or until the end of November when the billboard needs to come down with further construction plans.
