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 Singer Natalie Cole is currently in search of a kidney, after hepatitis C caused both of hers to fail. But, it looks like she may be in luck, because her fans are coming to the rescue.
When she appeared on CNN to talk to Larry King Tuesday (March 31), dozens of emails flooded CNN's computers. They were from fans who were offering up their own kidneys to help save the 59-year-old singer.
According to CNN.com, King handed Cole a stack of paper.
"These are all e-mails from dozens -- dozens of people offering to be tested to see if they can match, who want to give you a kidney," King told her.
Stunned, Cole responded, "There are some great human beings out there. That's all I can say."
She explained, "I'm on a very long list, which is why we are looking to donors."
Cole, the daughter of legendary crooner Nat King Cole, has been having kidney troubles since February 2008 when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C. According to the singer, she contracted the illness from her long struggle with drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
Today, she says she's sober after two stints in rehab.
Once diagnosed, Cole underwent chemotherapy to fight the virus. But, she tells CNN that within four months, both of Cole's kidneys failed.
"I couldn't breathe. I -- I went into -- literally, my kidneys stopped functioning. They stopped, you know, processing the fluid that was starting to build up in my body," Cole explained.
Since her kidney failure, she has been on dialysis three days a week and revealed that she's been searching for a kidney, during her CNN interview.
Despite the illness and lack of kidney function, she's been on the road, working. She said that she's been on tour this year, visiting countries such as Istanbul, Milan, Indonesia, Manila, and London.
Without a donor kidney, Cole says she will be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
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