Georgia donor, recipient inspire a movement — and a movie

Credit: Phil Skinner

Credit: Phil Skinner

The film, “End the Wait,” is rooted in Simpkins’ decision in 2022 to give a kidney to Dallas, a total stranger from nearby Douglasville with stage 5 kidney disease.

Simpkins was at the well-known women’s religious retreat, Walk to Emmaus, and overheard Dallas’ distraught wife, Lucretia, talking about the challenges of finding a kidney donor. Simpkins stunned her by volunteering on the spot to be the donor.

Later, doctors told Simpkins and Dallas that the odds of them being a transplant match were slim — roughly 1 in 10,000. But the surgery went forward, with hospital staff dubbing the two a “miracle match.”

What the world needs to know

As the independent film heads toward a worldwide release later this year, real-life transplants are unfolding in hospitals from Atlanta to Indianapolis — all because of an awareness campaign built around the two men’s story.

And success is measurable. As of this month, at least 13 kidney transplants have been connected directly to Simpkins’ advocacy efforts, awareness campaigns and community events.

In several cases, simply sharing a transplant story publicly has prompted multiple people to begin donor testing — often for recipients they’ve never met. Simpkins said the public’s response underscores both the scale of the need and the power of awareness.

Kidneys are the most needed and most commonly transplanted organs. Last year, about 48,000 people nationwide were added to donor waiting lists, even as the number of kidney donors declined, he said.

Simpkins believes that, over time, reaching hundreds of millions of people through the film could translate into tens of thousands of lives saved — while also reducing government health care costs by millions of dollars tied to chronic kidney disease.

“We believe this film will change everything,” he said.

Eyes, hearts opened

Starring in the movie are veteran actors Dean Cain, Michael Beach, Monica Potter and Lori Beth Sikes. All of them signed on for roles in “End the Wait” at reduced rates because of its mission to take the need for organ donors to a global audience, Simpkins said.

Credit: Photo courtesy of End the Wait Foundation

Credit: Photo courtesy of End the Wait Foundation

Beyond the screen, Simpkins, through his nonprofit, also called End the Wait, is working with medical professionals, nonprofit partners and policymakers to push for better collaboration among the nation’s more than 200 kidney transplant centers. The goal, he said, is not competition — it’s coordination. He hopes to identify bottlenecks in the system, improve communication and ensure viable donor-recipient matches.

His organization also is reaching out to transplant recipients to address other needs, such as food, help with bills and transportation.

“At the heart of it all is a simple idea: connecting people who want to help with people who desperately need it,” he said. “Whether that support comes through donations, transportation to dialysis, meals, prayer or advocacy.”

Simpkins said both he and Dallas have not experienced any serious complications from their surgeries. Dallas has maintained a physical fitness regimen he began before his 2022 surgery. Now in his 60s, he owns and runs a small business.

Simpkins hopes to begin phasing out of his business so he can devote more time to his church ministry and the End the Wait Foundation. He said he is humbled to lead such far-reaching efforts.

“I don’t feel worthy to be able to witness what’s happening. It’s so big,” Simpkins said. “How can someone like me get blessed enough to experience what we are experiencing and see lives change?”