Kanye West’s Yeezy sneakers are worth their weight in kidneys! That’s what a 26 year old Michigan man with two failing kidneys is hoping will be true for someone in Facebook land. Matt Neal suffers from Berger’s disease, which causes kidney failure and has forced him to undergo two years of dialysis to stay alive. Matt’s kidneys are in “poor condition” now, and he needs a kidney transplant. According to TMZ , Matt is on a transplant list, “but perilously far down.”
A MICHIGAN MAN WANTS TO TRADE HIS YEEZY’S FOR A NEW KIDNEY: 26-year-old Matt Neal of Ann Arbour, Michigan needs a… http://t.co/LaHioBSgmF
— Johnny Koolout (@KooloutRadio) August 28, 2015
Neal took to social media in hopes that someone will think that Kanye’s Yeezy Boost 350s would be a worthwhile trade for one working kidney. The Kanye sneakers are a limited edition that sold out in 12 minutes and are now being sold on eBay for $4,000.
http://instagram.com/p/64eMvynGI-
Matt points out that the shoes are so popular that people say they’d trade a kidney for a pair. “Now’s your chance,” he says in the Facebook post. He takes responsibility for his poor health, saying that the kidney problems are a result of the way he “abused” his body “by being a hype beast.”
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian got personally involved when they heard the story. Kanye and Kim can’t offer money to help with the kidney quest, because it is against federal law to offer money or merchandise for a human organ. “There’s no wiggle room,” so the Wests are offering the next best thing. If Matt has to give away his prized Yeezys to someone, Kanye and Kim will replace the Boost 350s with “a brand new pair of the impossible to get pricey kicks.”
Neal clarified on his post that he understands an actual trade would be illegal.
“People in the sneaker community always say they’ll trade a pair of yeezy’s and I was making this post to show people it’s more serious than that.”
Matt may not have to give away his Yeezys. According to TVNZ, the Facebook post brought in so much “love and support” from “random strangers,” as well as Kanye and Kim , that Matt says he’s been “in tears.” Mashable reports that many have offered to get tested to see if they are a match for Neal’s B+ blood type, and are willing to consider donating a kidney without any trade involved! Matt is in contact with those generous volunteers.
Michigan has a 5-to-7 year wait for kidney transplants, so Matt Neal’s Facebook appeal, with the exposure it’s getting though Kanye West, might be his only chance.
[Image via Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images]
