“I first met Bryon Langford at the gym, and he worked out so hard there. We always seemed to work out in the same spot at the same time, and eventually I got to know a little about him. I knew he worked two full-time jobs and a part-time job, and one of his full-time jobs was in the produce department at Publix.
“Then I changed gyms and didn’t see him there anymore; but I would still see him at Publix, where he was always singing while he worked and seemed so happy. Then one day when I saw him, he had lost a lot of weight. He shared with me that he had a kidney disease, that things were getting tough and he had to go on dialysis. After that, I made a point to go speak to him every time I was there, even if I wasn’t buying any produce.
“Sometime later I saw him, and there was just darkness in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong, and he dropped his head and said he was going to have to go on disability and wouldn’t be working anymore. At that moment, all I saw was hopelessness. Right then, something just came over me and I blurted out ‘Dude, you need a kidney? I’ve got two.’
“So a crazy journey for my family, for Bryon and for my recipient, Ron Simmons, began on an impulse. But after doing research on kidney disease, I knew it was something I was supposed to do. And it has truly been a blessing for me.
“Two men who can now wake up each day, go to work and play without hopelessness hanging over them have come into my life and become dear friends. Bryon and I speak several times each week, and he is now a part of my church and my family thanks to the kidney he received. I named my kidney ‘Ruby,’ and Ron calls every so often to tell me he and ‘Ruby’ are thinking of me, and it always makes my day.
“In many ways, this has also made me healthier because now I am more aware of what I eat and what I put in my body, and I exercise. If anyone is considering donating a kidney, I would say just do it because, through God’s favor, the impact of this journey on me has been unbelievably positive.
“Knowing the struggles these men experienced before their transplants and the difference it has made in their lives, I don’t know why anyone who is able to donate isn’t already signed up to do so.”