Man wears sandwich board in hopes of helping his mom get new kidney

Geoffrey Dinoso, 22, is placing his hopes and the health of his mother in the hands of strangers.

Somewhere out there, Dinoso hopes, someone may be willing to donate a kidney to his mom, Maria, who was diagnosed with renal failure two years ago.

To get the word out, he is wearing a sandwich board and standing along busy roads in Vacaville, Calif. In bold black letters, the board reads, "Mom Needs Kidney," followed by his phone number.

Yahoo News spoke with Dinoso, a full-time student who is hoping to get a job as an X-ray technician, about his mission. Although his quest is just getting underway, he says he's off to a good start.

Since he started wearing the board on Thursday, Dinoso said he's received "tons of texts and phone calls." The majority, he says, are from people who are eager to learn more about what it would take to donate a kidney. "They're asking me how they will find out if they're compatible or not."

Dinoso said he asks all interested callers to contact the University of California at Davis Transplant Center to inquire about being a donor.

Dinoso was inspired to take action after reading about a South Carolina man who, last year, wore a sandwich board seeking a kidney donation for his wife. That man's mission ended with success.

While the dialysis helps his mother, "the longer she's on it, the more harm it does to her body," he said. Her treatments are eight hours per day, every day, Dinoso said. "It really limits what she can do."

He's hoping to make their time together last a lot longer. People serious about donating can contact Dinoso via text at 707-439-1024.

There are currently over 100,000 people awaiting kidney transplants in the U.S., according to the National Kidney Foundation.

Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz)