Officer with the Arkansas Department of Corrections searching for a donor match for a kidney transplant

Little Rock, Arkansas – One Arkansas man may be able to change his situation while waiting for a kidney thanks to a social media post.

Shem Woods, an officer with the Arkansas Department of Corrections, has had a worldwide outpouring of support after he posted on social media about his stage 5 renal failure condition.

“People I’ve never met in my life talking about they’re willing to donate a kidney. That touches a part of your heart you don’t expect,” Woods said.

He receives continuous 24-hour dialysis therapy and 20 medications every day, but he claims that “Once that kidney comes in, it’s back to the races.”

Photos of Woods from before his diagnosis in early 2022, when he was much more active, reveal him to be 60 pounds heavier and to have a strong build.

“It’s kind of rough looking at my kids when they want me to do certain things, but I physically can’t do it,” he said.

But he nonetheless musters the courage to report to work at the ADC.

In addition to frequent trips to the hospital and ongoing dialysis, Woods keeps working to provide for his wife and 11 children.

He is indeed in pain. He is indeed worn out. However, he insisted that stage 5 kidney disease cannot prevent him from supporting his family.

Despite the doctor’s advice to not work, according to Woods, he feels compelled to.

“I still have my wife and kids to take care of,” he explained.

To help with funding so Woods doesn’t have to work as hard until he can get a new kidney, his family has set up a GoFundMe page.

The trucking business he owned and operated for 11 years was destroyed by his illness.

“It’s kind of hard to run a business from a hospital bed,” Woods said.

His mother published his story on Facebook while waiting for a new kidney in the hopes of a miracle after already burying two of her sons.

Still no match, but after several others shared, they were tested to see whether they matched, giving hope a lift.

Woods is A-positive and advised praying if you decide to get checked and the results don’t match.

“I just pray that out of this pond of people, somebody is a blessing, and somebody is a match,” he said.

Officer Woods can be paired with individuals who are A-positive, A-negative, O-positive, or O-negative.

Since March, he has been on the waiting list.

Visit LivingDonor.UAMS.edu to complete an application to become a living donor.