When Bob Stewart found out his wife, Michelle, needed a kidney transplant last year, he knew he’d have to get creative. Because of his blood type, he wasn’t a match. They were told the average wait time for a kidney in Colorado is five to six years, and they didn’t have that long. They distributed fliers; they reached out to the media. But it wasn’t enough. So, three weeks ago, Bob decided to decorate his truck with a personal ad: “Wife needs kidney. Type O Blood.”

He included her name and a phone number, and the calls started pouring in.

“I thought, maybe a couple people will come forward,” Bob said Monday night sitting in their home in Henderson. “And then a guy took a picture of it and posted it on Reddit, and it went viral.”

The photo was posted online Friday. By Saturday morning, the Stewarts said, their hospital’s voice mailbox was completely full.

“We are in the process of taking a lot of phone calls from many, many interested people that have seen the communication from the patient and are reaching out to try to help,” said Dr. James Cooper, a nephrologist and assistant professor of kidney transplants at the University of Colorado Hospital.

According to the Stewarts, several people are being screened as potential matches.

“I’m looking for the grace of a stranger,” Michelle said. “I talked to my doctor today, and he said I’m getting close. I can feel my body slowing down. I know that I’m changing. He said that it’s a good thing this happened, because I’m very close to needing the transplant.”

Michelle’s journey began decades ago, when she was first diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus at age 13. Now 50, she has been battling medical issues for most of her life, including two comas, a stroke, a seizure, chemotherapy and temporary paralysis.

Then, in February 2014, she found out her kidneys were failing.

Michelle was added to a transplant waiting list in April. Since then, the couple has been doing everything they can to find a donor. She’s been on an extremely limited dialysis diet that cuts out salt, dairy, whole grains, most meat and a variety of other items.

“That part of it has been crazy, but it saved my life,” she said. “Most people don’t have the luxury I have of waiting … I’ve been able to live on my kidneys for a year while I look for a donor.”

Cooper said that if Michelle undergoes a successful kidney transplant soon, many of her medical issues should be alleviated.

“Kidney transplant is considered to be the only true cure for chronic kidney disease,” Cooper explained. “The overwhelming majority of patients who receive a kidney transplant enjoy very good quality of life and very good function of the transplanted kidney for many years.”

After that, Bob said, it’s just a matter of designing a new sign for his truck. This time around, he’s thinking of a general promotion for the American Transplant Foundation.

“The biggest thing you could possibly do with your life is to save another life,” said Bob, who is registered for an exchange program to donate his kidney if it helps Michelle find a donor. “There’s nothing else you can accomplish that’s greater than that.”

Anna Gauldin: 303-954-1666, agauldin@denverpost.com

Want to help?

If you’d like to help Michelle Stewart or would like to learn more about kidney donation, visit the uchealth.org living kidney donation page for more information. Because of the heavy phone traffic, University of Colorado Hospital is urging people to visit the website before calling. An informational session will also be held Friday at 1 p.m. Details will be posted on the website.