Doctors Performing Kidney Transplant Operation On Man Are Also Able To Save Donor's Life

Feb 10, 2020

When Don Herbert and Pastor Tim Jones met for the first time, neither could have imagined that the random encounter was going to take the two men on a journey that would change their lives forever.

Tim would become a kidney donor for Don, but their chance meeting only a few weeks prior would end up saving two lives instead of only one when doctors spotted Tim's aneurysm.

The two men ended up in the hospital together. As doctors were operating to save Don's life, Pastor Tim was in another room of the hospital, CBS Charlotte affiliate WBTV reports. 

Only a few weeks before, Don was driving around town with his wife to look for yard sales. The couple spotted an interesting yard sale hosted at a local church. Don wasn't interested in the knick-knacks or baked goods in front of the church. Instead, he was eager to inspect a loud noise that he heard coming from inside the church.

Don was blown away by the stunning music that was coming from the church. The tones and beats instantly resonated with Don's soul. As a talented gospel singer, Don understood the gift that this singer held. Pastor Tim Jones happened to be the one singing the amazing gospel song. After talking for a while, Pastor Tim invited Don to sing at an upcoming event that the church was hosting, reports CBN.

During this time, Don was experiencing some major health complications. Although he was growing fond of Pastor Tim, this news wasn't something to be shared with a new friend. However, Don would soon realize the important role that Pastor Time would play in his recovery.

Six months before the fateful meeting, Don had received a liver transplant. He required the transplant after dealing with a chronic illness for over a decade. Despite the initial surgery being declared a success, Don's kidneys began to fail. This meant that Don would have to undergo another major surgery.

Although Don's wife wanted to be the donor, she wasn't eligible due to her lack of insurance. The couple wouldn't be able to afford the cost of the insurance either. In a moment of desperation, she posted a plea on her Facebook page. She requested help from her friends in the form of fundraising efforts, donations, or actual donors. Upon seeing the post, Pastor Tim knew that it was his calling to help the man he had just met two weeks prior, and he volunteered to be the kidney donor.

In an interview with the CBN, he said:

"I had a strong faith that God was going to take care of me no matter what happened."

The two men ended up being perfect matches despite the 1 in 20,000 odds. During the procedure, doctors realized that Pastor Tim had an aneurysm that would have cost the man his life, doctors told him. If it weren't for Pastor Tim's offer to donate his kidney, this aneurysm may have gone unnoticed.

Luckily, the aneurysm had not affected his kidney in any way, but would have been fatal if not also operated on. In the end, the successful transplant and treatment of the aneurysm ended up saving two lives.

Now, the two men are known to minister together to share their stories of recovery and redemption.

What do you think about this story? What do you think of Don's generosity? Isn't is crazy that Pastor Tim's act of kindness actually ended up saving his own life? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family!