It took just one photo for a stranger to reach out to a dying man, donate one of his kidneys and save the man’s life. Raleigh Callaway had stage 5 kidney failure, and his health was getting worse. His family was thinking of ways to call attention to their need for a kidney donor, so the family decided to have a photo taken together.
Unknowingly, it was a family photo where his children held on to a poster saying, “Our Daddy Needs A Kidney” that got them all the help they needed.
The photo was flashed on 11Alive shows and posted on similar websites, and among the thousands of 11Alive viewers who have expressed their support for the local policemen, one brave and generous man stood out from the rest and decided to donate his kidney.
The donor, Chris Carrol, lived in Texas, which was hundreds of miles away from the Callaways. He never knew Callaway and was a complete stranger to the family, but he felt that he really needed to help the family.
After a series of tests, it was determined that Carrol was a perfect match with Callaway, and he has since pushed to speed up the process so that Callaway can have the transplant right away. Prior to the transplant, the families had time to get to know each other and have already built a special bond among themselves.
After weeks of preparations, the transplant finally went through last Thursday, and Callaway’s wife Kirsti disclosed that doctors were thrilled with how the surgery went. She also issued another statement later on Thursday, mentioning the success of the surgery.
The response to help Callaway has been overwhelming for the family, prompting Kristi Callaway and photographer Brandy Angel to start a non-profit. Known as Callaway’s Angels, they hope that their organization can encourage people to donate and eventually link up people who need kidneys to those who want to donate.
article via thegrio.com