"I decided to donate because I wanted my brother, Shane Holcomb, to have a longer life with his kids and be able to be with his family until he reaches a ripe-old age.
"My brother and I are pretty close. He’s a funny guy. He’s got a great sense of humor. And he’s a good person, too. He’s a great dad. I couldn’t imagine him not being here with his kids.
"The decision to be a living donor wasn’t really hard at all. I mean, he’s my brother. You do what you have to do to help the ones you love. The fact that I could do this and save his life and also save somebody else’s in the process is just amazing.
"My biggest fear going into this was not being able to help my brother. It was disappointing when we were told that my kidney was too small for him, because we were a match otherwise. But UAB’s transplant program was still able to help us. When they said I could give to someone else and it would help Shane get a kidney that was better suited for him, that was all we needed to hear. UAB’s program saved his life and somebody else’s, too.
"It was pretty awesome to be able to meet my recipient, Victoria Smith. It was strange because her personality is sort of like mine. She’s quiet and timid, which is kind of how I am. We do try to keep in touch some. I just spoke with her at Thanksgiving, which was great.
"I hear from Tyler Williamson every now and then, too. He was one of the other donors who gave the same day I did. When I met Tyler in the hospital, it was pretty amazing because he came to donate without having a specific person to give to. He just wanted to help someone in need.
"The whole experience was emotional. My kids were there with me. So was my mother, grandmother and aunts and uncles from all over the country. It was awesome that they were there to be a part of it.