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Another Saskatchewan woman is using her car to try and secure a new kidney.
Back in 2022, Debbie Onishenko placed a sign on the back of her car reading, “Kidney Needed Type O” alongside her phone number and a request to “Share Your Spare.”
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For Onishenko, the public appeal worked.
Brent Kruger called the then 61-year-old in August of that year, and after rounds of testing and forms, he became a live kidney donor for Onishenko.
Now, Peggy Macala is hoping the same can happen for her.
Since June 2025, Macala’s had a sign on the back of her white Ford Escape that reads nearly the exact same as Onishenko’s: “Kidney Needed Type O 639-571-5084 Share Your Spare.”
Peggy Macala said now that she’s retired she wants to enjoy life with her husband and grandchildren. But, without a new kidney, there’s certain things she avoids to ensure her health isn’t compromised. (Peggy Macala/submitted)
Macala’s family members in Vancouver and Calgary also drive around with the same message on their cars. Unfortunately, none of her close family and friends are matches.
According to Macala, she got the idea for the car decal from a woman who did the same thing years ago, though didn’t specify whether Onishenko was the particular inspiration.
Macala needs a kidney transplant because she has Chronic Kidney Disease, or CKD.
But, this isn’t the first organ in her body she’s had to replace.
Thirty-three years ago, Macala got a heart transplant. She was only 30 years old at the time, but that donation meant she was able to watch her young children grow up and now, her grandchildren.
“Everyday I think of the person who gave me life because their family thought of someone other than themselves when they were going through a very difficult time,” she said.
Despite everything gained from her new heart, though, it’s also led to the need for a kidney replacement.
With the medications she takes, “my kidneys have taken kind of a kicking,” Macala said.
Her updated heart has also made finding a new kidney that much more difficult.
“The criteria for my kidney transplant is a little bit more specified than it is for most because I’ve already had immunosuppressants and I’ve already had transient kind of blood,” Macala said.
Plus, while dialysis is an option, according to Macala, it’s harder on a transplanted heart so she’s trying to avoid that route.
“I’m just hoping that I don’t have to reach that. But if it’s a step I have to take, I will,” she said about starting dialysis.
Three years and counting
Macala’s been on the kidney transplant list since January 2023.
She said she’ll likely need a live kidney donation, since waiting for one from someone who’s died can take a long time.
According to Jaime Robin-Partyka, the manager for the Saskatchewan Transplant Program, there’s currently about 80 people in the province waiting for a kidney from someone who’s died.
On average people wait one to two years, but Robin-Partyka said there’s, “no top and bottom to the list,” since there’s a lot of factors that need to align for a donor match.
In 2025, she said there were 22 deceased donors but in other years there’s been a lot more, though those numbers ebb and flow.
Wait times aside, another reason Macala could benefit from a live kidney donation is due to her complex health needs.
Living Kidney Donation coordinator Ami Vavra, said since live transplants are planned ahead of time, it ensures patients are in the best possible condition, “as opposed to getting the call in the middle of the night.”
Getting closer to a match
Macala’s decal has attracted some attention, especially after a Facebook user posted a photo of her car on a Saskatoon page.
Thus far, four or five people have reached out to Macala, though she hasn’t heard back since the initial connection.
She imagines it’ll be a while before that happens, “because it’s a process that you have to go through to be considered an organ donor,” she said.
According to Vavra, it can take months once someone decides to donate an organ before it actually happens.
If nothing comes of the decal, though, Macala said she’ll just need to keep waiting.
But, while she does, her post-retirement dreams are taking a bit of a back seat.
“You know that part in life where you go, ‘okay, I’m retired now, and I can go enjoy life, do the things I want to do?’” Macala asked.
“But now that I’m retired, I’m not well enough,” to do those things, she said.
As Macala’s wait for a kidney transplant extends into its third year, she wants people to know the difference it can make to sign an organ donor card.
“The life you save might be someone you know. You never know where your organ is going to end up,” she said.
Those interested in donating an organ can find more information on the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Transplant Program web page.
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