"I have a cousin whose son-in-law, Brett, needed a kidney. I didn’t even know he was in kidney failure or needed to be on dialysis. When I found out about it, the first thing that came through my mind is that I was relatively healthy. I felt like I could at least try to see if I could donate a kidney.
"I called UAB to get the information I needed. They interviewed me on the phone, and then they had me come in for tests, and I passed all of those. Then, they told me I was a match for Brett, but not a perfect match because of one antigen. So they told me how they could find a perfect match for him in their database and then find someone I could be a perfect match for. They told me it was my choice.
"I didn’t give it a second thought. I wanted Brett to get the best kidney he could get. I went into the pairing system and they matched me up with Robin.
"I would do it again in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t think twice about it either.
"This chain has helped so many people. For what it’s worth, I feel like the Lord has blessed me with good health and eternal life, so why shouldn’t I give back and give somebody else a gift? It just so happens that this gift was a kidney. There’s no better way to feel.
"After the first 48 hours, it was smooth sailing for me. I haven’t missed a beat since the surgery. I’m doing everything I’ve ever done. As a matter of fact, I’m trying to be even more healthy than I was before. I’m trying to watch what I eat and drink and take care of myself even more than I was before."
Karon Tidwell - 7
"I would do it again in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t think twice about it either."