Would you ever think about being a living donor? This Utah man did and gave the Gift of Hope to another man in need.
Meet 36-year-old Darrin Briggs, a Utahn with a big heart who stepped up for a friend and coworker.
When Tessa, a coworker, friend and fellow Green Bay Packer fan, learned her kidney was failing, Darrin found out about it in an email.
Tessa had emailed a few close friends about her condition.
She quipped at the end, “If anyone wants to get rid of a kidney, let me know.”
Darrin said, “I sent her an email out and said, ‘I’m praying for you. Hope all goes well. If you need my kidney, it's yours, just tell me where to be and where to show up.’”
After a series of conversations, Darrin and Tessa had a life-changing talk.
“Then it was in July where she finally came to me and said, ‘OK, if you’re serious and willing to be tested to see if we would match, here's some information and you can decide and look and see if this is really something you can and want to do,’” Darrin said.
Darrin was a perfect match. He said the living donor experience has made him an organ donor advocate.
“I really would like to educate as many people as possible; it has to be a decision you make for yourself, family, friend or loved one,” Darrin said. “There's someone out there you can help, that's really the bottom line.”
Currently in Utah, 493 people are waiting for a kidney.
Visit YesUtah.com for more information about organ and tissue donation.
