"My sister, Linda Peebles, gave me a kidney in June 2000, and it lasted until this year. UAB doctors started trying to find me a donor back in November 2013 because they knew it wouldn’t last much longer. My daughter, Contessa Terry, pretty much matched up with me, but there were some antibodies that turned out to be a problem, and I couldn't receive her kidney.
"UAB asked my daughter if she wanted to join the paired exchange program so I could get a kidney, and she told them yes.
"I had IGA nephropathy, which was the reason why I received my sister's kidney in 2000. She was a perfect match for me, and I never had to go on dialysis back then. I did have to go on dialysis this time, for roughly two months.
"For me, dialysis wasn't too bad. The first two or three treatments made me a little nauseated. After that, it didn't bother me too much. I'd feel a little drained after each visit but that was about the extent of it.
"When I started dialysis, I had gained more than 40 pounds, and it was all fluid. They literally took over 40 pounds fluid out of me, and it made a big difference in the way I felt pretty quickly. It also made it to where I could handle this transplant a lot easier.
"I was to the point where I could hardly get around in early May. The fluid was really building up in my lungs. I came to UAB on the 11th of May, and when they saw me, my blood count was low and I was swollen so bad that they suggested I do emergency dialysis and wait on the transplant. After they gave me blood, I had to wait around 6 weeks to see how my antibodies were and whether they had changed.
"I figured my transplant would be delayed for a good while, but they called me a few weeks later and said they had found a match. They told me they were surprised they got a match that quick.
"My daughter had wanted to donate a kidney the first time I had a transplant in 2000, but I thought she was too young. The IGA nephropathy also can be passed along, but most of the time, it's passed on to the male. Now that she's older, and still had no signs of IGA nephropathy, there wasn't any saying no to her this time. I had a nephew that volunteered and he got turned down. My other sister got turned down. Tessa said, 'It's my time.' She said, I want do this.' It makes me emotional talking about her and what she’s done for me.
"We talked about it. I told her to make sure this was something she wanted to do, and she said she was sure. The first thing she said to me when I got out of surgery was, 'We did it, daddy. We did it.'
"This chain is just a miracle. It's a miracle for everybody involved. Medicine has changed so much since my first transplant. It's unbelievable what can be done now.
"I'm almost two months out from my surgery, and I feel great. I'm doing so much better. It's been life changing, and I am forever grateful to my daughter and my donor. It's hard to describe what it means to me, but I'm very, very thankful."
Glen Peebles - 22
"This chain is just a miracle. It's a miracle for everybody involved. Medicine has changed so much since my first transplant. It's unbelievable what can be done now."