Kidney Health Goes Hollywood with Movie About a Transplant

Kidney Health Goes Hollywood with Movie About a Transplant

The National Kidney Foundation has partnered with Warner Bros. to promote the release of a movie that draws long-overdue attention to kidney disease and organ donation.

“Going in Style” is a comedy about three lifelong friends – Willie (Morgan Freeman), Joe (Michael Caine) and Al (Alan Arkin) – who plan to get revenge on a bank that stole their pension money.

Willie finds himself in a tough spot, however — as a kidney patient on dialysis who learns he needs a transplant.

The movie was written by Theodore Melfi and directed by Zach Braff. Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures were partners in the production.

Willie keeps his struggle a secret from family and friends — a story that’s all too familiar among the 26 million Americans suffering from kidney disease, according to a National Kidney Foundation account. But it doesn’t have to be, the foundation said.

The timing of the release couldn’t be better. April is National Donate Life Month, and “Going in Style” is opening in the United States today, April 7. This year, only about 18,000 of the 100,000 Americans on a kidney transplant waiting list will be able to get one.

A third of these kidneys will come from living donors. “Going in Style” highlights the importance of living organ donation, covering in an engaging manner the questions, consequences and benefits of this selfless action.

One of the hardest parts of living with kidney failure is asking loved ones or friends to consider getting tested to see if they could become a living kidney donor. The process can be challenging and intimidating, and the National Kidney Foundation wants to help kidney patients overcome the pitfalls step by step.

The foundation has produced a public service announcement to acquaint patients with its “The Big Ask, the Big Give” program. The movie’s director, Braff, voiced the video.

The foundation’s awareness campaign promotes living kidney donation by providing factual, unbiased information addressing common concerns of those considering the procedure – both patients (the Big Ask) and donors (the Big Give).

You can invite movie goers to donate by texting “GiveinStyle” to 41444. Now, grab your popcorn and watch the public service announcement:

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