Who would knew that this would happen?
In North Carolina, one man’s generous act has ended up saving his own life despite helping another. It was Pastor Tim Jones, who wanted to donate his kidney to help a man he befriended at a church fundraiser last fall. Don Herbert, who is also a former professional wrestler turned gospel singer, had been suffering from kidney failure which required a kidney donation.
“I wanted to give him a chance at life, I wanted to give him hope. I prayed for peace with it and a couple of days later God gave me peace. I told my wife we’re going to do this,” said Jones.
He went for testing, and was a match for Herbert! After many preliminary tests and procedures, the transplant was finally scheduled at Duke University Medical Center – and it was a success. Plus, the operation not only saved Herbert’s life, but Jones’s as well.
Jones’s surgery spanned for 6 hours, twice as long as expected as doctors had found an aneurysm in one of his arteries. It had never shown up in any of the preoperative tests – until now.
The chances of finding a donor were very slim due to the many recipants on the waiting list for a new kidney. Herbert had met local pastor Tim Jones during a church craft and bake sale. Don struck up a conversation and shared his love of gospel music, leading the two to quickly become fast friends. Now Herbert is in trouble.
After a medical check-up at the Duke University Medical Center back in early November, 56-year-old Herbert was diagnoised with Stage 4 Kidney Disease. Both of his kidneys were failing, but that was not the only issue. He also needed a heart catheterization, which caused him to be removed from the hospital’s kidney waiting list. This news left both Herbert and his wife Belinda greatly depressed.
Belinda wrote about her husband’s plight on their Facebook page, in the form of a personal plea to anyone who would give Don a chance at another organ donation. Jones had been browsing Facebook in the afternoon, and came across Belinda’s post.
Tim and Sherry then invited both Don and Belinda Herbert to their Salisbury home located in Settlers Grove. The couple informed them about Don’s whole medical history and experiences. It was then Jones told Herbert he wanted to donate one of his kidneys to him, as a gift. It was a perfect match which saved 2 lives.
“What if it was me? Or what if it was you? How many people would be lining up, waiting to give us a kidney?”
On the other hand, Jones has expressed that he was in fact, not nervous at all for the procedure. “Things are risky for me, I understand that. But they are more risky for Don. My wife kids me and says, ‘You act like you’re giving him a piece of gum,’” he laughs.
Watch the story of the two men unfold in the video below!
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