"I moved to Harvest from Washington State in October 2012. In 2013, I met Ellen's daughter, who is one of my neighbors. She's actually the first neighbor I met in the area. Her children are in the same age group as our children.

"One day, we were walking around the neighborhood, and she told me that her mom needed a kidney and that she was in rejection from her first kidney transplant. I asked, 'What can I do?' She gave me a phone number, and I called UAB and got a quick screening set up. My evaluation showed that I wasn't a match for Ellen, but they asked if I would donate to anyone so she could get a kidney sooner. I said, 'Of course.'

"I ended up donating on Dec. 6, and I gave my kidney to Thomas Blankenship, a gentleman from Tennessee. I couldn't be happier about it. What a great thing.

"Why did I decide to give? It wasn't a question for me.

"I got a lot of feedback from my family, and of course they were nervous about it. My parents were the most worried. 'What does that mean? What about your own four children? What if they need a kidney?' I just told them, 'What if? I've got 20 more years, roughly, to be able to donate this part of me to someone else that needs it now. I'm going to do it as soon as I'm needed.'

"I can't say that my children will never need a kidney. But I think if that were ever the case, God's will would provide for them."