How A Stick Of Gum Led To A Life-Saving Kidney Donation - And A National Movement

July 16, 2025

In 2013, Brian Martindale was down to his last piece of gum. That small craving led him out the door on a walk to a local shop—Liberty Food Store in Bay City, Michigan.

Inside, he picked up a copy of The Bay City Times and was instantly drawn to the front page. There was a photo of a young girl in a princess dress, alongside a heart-wrenching story: a mother desperately seeking a kidney donor for her 10-year-old daughter, Jessica Schwerin.

Brian Martindale and Jessica Schwerin

Martindale, who had never met Jessica or her family, felt compelled to act. Within months, he donated his kidney to her. Over time, Jessica became like a daughter to him and his wife.

Reflecting on that day, Martindale said, “If I wouldn’t have had the chewing gum thing, if I wouldn’t have run out of that last stick, I would have just went home that night. I would have never saw the story.”

The experience opened his eyes to the thousands of children in need of kidney transplants. Wanting to do more, he founded the nonprofit Kidneys for Kids in 2022 and launched a nationwide initiative called Driving for Life.

Behind the wheel of a donated car, Martindale traveled across the U.S., logging over 7,000 miles in the first year. That number climbed to 10,000 the next, and in 2025, he surpassed 25,000 miles.

Brian Martindale and Jessica Schwerin

His goal is bold and heartfelt: to help connect 100 kidney donors with 100 children.

“We’ve literally circled the earth to find kidney donors for children over the last four years,” he said.

Meet Martindale in the video below: