Most people don’t expect a trip to the movies to change someone’s life. But for patients waiting for a kidney transplant, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Kidneys for Communities is proud to announce a new partnership with National CineMedia (NCM), the nation’s largest cinema advertising network, to expand life-saving living donor campaigns in movie theaters across the country.
The idea is simple but powerful: bring real stories from kidney patients directly to audiences while they’re fully engaged on the big screen. Before showtime begins, moviegoers see community-directed living donor campaigns featuring patients in need of a transplant, along with QR codes that connect viewers directly to donor registration pages.
And it’s already working.
One recent pilot campaign generated more than 8,200 views in just six weeks and resulted in 18 donor sign-ups — ultimately leading to a successful kidney match. Other NCM-supported campaigns have produced hundreds of donor applications nationwide.
What makes this partnership especially meaningful is how it began.
Ricky Hernandez, an NCM employee and kidney transplant recipient, used cinema advertising for his own living donor search. After personally experiencing the impact of seeing his story on the big screen, he helped bring the idea to Kidneys for Communities so more patients could benefit.
“This partnership represents a breakthrough in how we reach and engage potential living donors,” said Atul Agnihotri, CEO of Kidneys for Communities. “By bringing these deeply personal stories into movie theaters, where audiences are already emotionally engaged, we are creating a powerful new pathway for connection, compassion, and ultimately, life-saving action.”
The movie theater environment offers something few advertising platforms can today: undivided attention. Unlike social media or streaming platforms, audiences can’t scroll past or skip these messages. According to NCM, cinema advertising delivers ad recall rates as high as 74%, compared to 28% for social media.
For patients waiting for a kidney transplant, that kind of attention can make all the difference. A new NCM/Kidneys for Communities campaign begins in June 2026 for pediatrics patient Laytyn. We expect to share more good news shortly.
More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, while millions more live with kidney disease — many without even knowing it. Through this partnership, Kidneys for Communities and NCM hope to scale these campaigns nationwide, helping more patients find living donors through the power of community, storytelling, and human connection.
Because sometimes, the hero in the audience isn’t just watching the story. They become part of it.