“I knew he was on the transplant list, sitting, waiting every day for a kidney to become available, but I just felt like I had to do something more. So, I decided to give him one of my kidneys."
Greg, Recipient
Joe, Donor
Friend-to Friend Emotionally-Related Kidney Transplant
As Maplewood Firefighters, Joe and Greg had worked side by side for years. During that time they had become more that co-workers. They became real friends. Over time, Joe saw Greg getting sicker and sicker until he couldn't bear to watch anymore.
“I knew he was on the transplant list, sitting, waiting every day for a kidney to become available, but I just felt like I had to do something more. So, I decided to give him one of my kidneys,” explains Joe.
For Greg, life after his kidney transplant is so much better. He no longer has to plan his day around his dialysis schedule; he’s back to living life again. “After being on dialysis for seven years, I did not even realize I could feel so much better,” Greg says.
Joe is happy to see his friend back to living life again. He considers donating his kidney the best thing he has ever done! “Donating a kidney to someone that I consider to be part of my family was an easy decision,” he explains.
“I really would encourage people who have not considered a transplant to look into it. It is well worth it,” says Greg.