District Councilmember and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry celebrated his 5th anniversary of his kidney transplant this week -- and now he is challenging everyone to become organ donors.
Barry is supporting a Kidney Donor Registration Drive at Howard University Hospital in Northwest Saturday, tweeting frequently.
He also plans to call in to the drive, and Barry's own kidney donor, Kim Dickens, will be there to launch the campaign.
Meet our first kidney donor of the day, Sheila Boykin of Ward 4. Thank you so much for being a blessing to others. pic.twitter.com/UjHuo07fPP — Marion S. Barry, Jr. (@marionbarryjr) February 22, 2014
Organ donation is a longtime cause for Barry, a diabetic. He was released from the hospital earlier this week after treatment for a urinary tract infection, and is still rehabilitating.
The national kidney foundation reports more than 4,900 patients died last year while waiting for a kidney transplant.
