LAKE MARY, Fla. – A Lake Mary man in need of a kidney has grabbed the attention of drivers by making a car magnet to spread the word about his cause.
"The way I look at it, somebody else has it worse than me," Roddy Naranjo said. "Keep your spirits up. Something will happen."
Naranjo is staying positive, all the while holding out hoping that someone will be the O-positive match he has been waiting for, for years.
Four years ago, while playing his favorite sport, soccer, Naranjo said he noticed something was off.
His doctor later told him he was experiencing kidney failure.
Naranjo said tough days followed.
"I started feeling a little bit tired," he said. "I started getting headaches. I started getting cramps."
Now, the 56-year-old said, his week consists of going in for his dialysis three times a week and taking nearly 20 pills a day, all while he waits for a kidney donation, which could take up to five years.
Unable to work and play his favorite sport, Naranjo started thinking of ways to spread the word on his own.
He now uses magnets, shirts and business cards, all of which provide people with a phone number to call if they can help him get results.
"Everyday, I said, 'What can I do? What can I do?'" Naranjo recalls thinking. "I said, 'You know what? I need to actively tackle this.'"
The community has really stepped up, Naranjo said.
Three strangers already offered to see if they were a match. Others have called to send prayers.
"I have a good support system," he said. "I have a family and good friends that are around me all the time. The future is bright."
For more on his journey, you can visit his Facebook page by following this link.