'Wanted to help': Louisville man receives life-saving kidney donation from niece's friend
Living Donor Month serves as a tribute to the incredible impact of organ donation.
맥스카지노All the prayers that were said for me, where it was happening,맥스카지노 said Donnie Huddleston, who was faced with kidney failure.
Huddleston, a co-owner of PRP's Ice Cream Corner for more than a decade, was devastated when his kidney failure forced him into early retirement.
But his prayers were answered when family connections led to a selfless donor, Serene Conaway.
"A week before I was starting dialysis, and my brother called me, and said I think that we may have you a donor," said Huddleston.
Conaway was inspired by losing a close friend to kidney failure. She joined the donor registry and matched Donnie, a rare B-positive blood type.
"The average wait time right now for if you're a B-positive is more than five years," said Dr. Gaurav Rajashekar, Medical Director of the at UofL Health.
After extensive testing confirmed the match, their surgery at the end of February was a success.
"He was just really awesome, and I wanted to help somebody in a way that I couldn't help my friend," said Serene Conaway.
Serene recovered quickly and is regaining energy, while Huddleston is optimistic about the gift sustaining him for decades.
"It's going to take another couple of months. But, you know, I'll fight through it and, and again, you know it beats the alternative. I'm hoping it's going to last me 20 or 30 years," said Huddleston.
Their story, grounded in gratitude, underscores the importance of organ donation. 맥스카지노She is family. She'll be in my life for the rest of my life. and I'll never forget what she did,맥스카지노 Donnie emphasizes. Both hope their journey will inspire others to consider becoming donors.
to learn how to become a kidney donor.