Kidney4Bo Digital Campaigin Launches Amid COVID-19 Pandemic to Find Bo Harris a Kidney for Transplant While Inspiring Hope
Cape Cod-based couple Bo Harris and Paul Breen start a digital campaign to find Bo a kidney while spreading awareness on kidney disease and living donation.
PROVINCETOWN (April 10, 2020) – Bolton “Bo” Harris and his husband, Paul Breen announced today the launch of the digital communications campaign Kidney4Bo. The initiative’s main goal is to find Bo a living kidney donor. As someone who suffers from chronic kidney disease, Bo will need a life-saving kidney transplant in order to live. While the couple search for Bo’s donor, they also seek to educate people about chronic kidney disease and the value of living donation for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who are waiting on a kidney transplant.
“We’re a little nervous, but more excited than anything”, Bo says about his and Paul’s decision to launch Kidney4Bo. As a lung cancer survivor who has type one diabetes, Bo reflects, “I was prepared for the medical aspect. I was not prepared for how much other people would have to be involved. It’s truly not something you can ‘fix’ on your own. This experience has really opened my eyes. It’s made me want to use my experience to help others if I can.”
This search for a living organ donor is known within the community as the Big Ask. A daunting endeavor, Kidney4Bo’s message taps into the heart of uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the Big Ask and one’s search for a donor. The CKD and transplant social media community is especially active on Instagram and Facebook. Kidney hashtags are popular on Instagram. The tag #kidneywarrior, for example, has been used over 23,000 times. On Facebook, private support groups abound, each one catering to a different stage in the journey. These chatty corners have provided a welcoming space of support for Bo.
Despite the unpredictability in Bo’s own life, he has become inspired and encouraged by this community. He hopes to be a point of light and positivity in a time when the entire healthcare industry is taking it day-by-day. The Provincetown-based couple have relied on this optimism when looking for ways to give back. “Even during this trying time, we realized we could help. We can’t leave our home, but we can still use our voice,” Bo said. “Once Bo has his kidney transplant, we plan to use this online following to extend our message even further,” Paul says.
For more information about the Kidney4Bo campaign, please visit www.kidney4bo.com.
About Kidney4Bo
Kidney4Bo is a digital communications campaign launched on April10, 2020 by Bolton “Bo” Harris and his husband, Paul Breen. Bo was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 2015. Due to this decline, he was placed on the nationwide kidney transplant waiting list. Kidney4Bo’s mission is to find Bo a living donor in order to receive a kidney transplant. The duo also seeks to spread awareness on chronic kidney disease, kidney transplants, and the value of living organ donation. Bo is registered at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Press Contact
Paul Breen
+1 (774) 538 9809
kidney4bo@gmail.com
kidney4bo.com 