Meet James & Craig

"My kidneys were failing, and there was nothing the doctors could do."

Only five years later, James started suffering fatigue and swelling in his legs. He made an appointment with his nephrologist, who had been monitoring James’s diminishing kidney function. Tests revealed that James's kidney function had dropped to only 10 percent. The doctor told James that he needed to start dialysis or get a kidney transplant. He then immediately referred James to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, because it has the largest, most experienced transplant program in the state of Ohio—as well as one of the largest, most experienced programs in the country.

After James’s transplant eligibility was confirmed, he learned he had two options: he could start dialysis until a deceased kidney donor could be found, which could take many years, or he could start looking for a living kidney donor. James was feeling overwhelmed by the thought of finding a living kidney donor when his church made an announcement on his behalf.

"As it turns out, the friend I saw every Sunday ended up being a perfect match."

After hearing the announcement at church, James’s friend Craig decided to get tested to see if he was a match to be a living kidney donor for James. When the results came back, Craig was shocked to find out that he and James had the same remarkable organ compatibility that you would find in blood brothers. After talking it over with his family, Craig called James to tell him that he would be his donor.

After a comprehensive pre-transplant orientation process at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center, James and Craig underwent kidney transplant surgery. Dr. Ronald Pelletier removed Craig’s kidney and Dr. Amer Rajab transplanted the healthy organ into James’s body. After several hours, the surgeons came out to tell the families that both surgeries were successful. James and Craig each recovered without complications.

"I’m really blessed that I got this opportunity."

Today, James doesn’t worry about being on dialysis for the rest of his life. He’s too busy spending time with his wife Laura and playing with their two young daughters. James is thankful for his friend Craig’s selfless decision to become a living kidney donor. Though many people ask Craig why he did it, he doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. “He needed a kidney, and I was able to provide it.”

James is also an advocate for living donor kidney transplantation. James hopes that sharing his story will help others suffering with chronic kidney disease—and encourages everyone to get tested to become a living kidney donor.