Josiah, Dorry, and Emily showing their kidneys (in tact).

While we are waiting on Doug and Izaak to return from recovery, I thought it would be fitting to honor the others that also pledged their kidneys to Doug.

Last fall my wife, Dorry (center), pledged to donate her kidney to Doug. Headstrong that she was a match she flew threw the testing on her way to kidney donation. Two days after her intake interview, she received a telephone call from Kathie Collins, the donor coordinator. Kathie told Dorry that there was a problem and that she needed to consult a heart specialist ASAP.

As it turned out, Dorry had a complete congenital heart block, she was instructed that she would have to have a pacemaker implanted or risk “sudden death.” We opted for the pacemaker. Needless to say, Dorry was taken off of the transplant list, but had she not “felt” the need to donate, she may have never known about her heart condition until it was too late. My beautiful wife had a “spring-butt” to lunge to the challenge, and I am and have been truly amazed at the strength of her character.

The other two pictured donors (left and right) are Josiah and Emily Standridge–Izaak’s brother and sister. They both agreed to donate their kidneys to Doug regardless of sacrifice. Josiah is a star tackle for the Alcoa Tornadoes, and Emily tackles the children at Blessings Christian Child Care. But they were both willing to lay down their lives for another.

As a father and a husband, I can only imagine that I would have one child that would be willing to show such character, but for a family to have three children willing to meet the call, is a tremendous testament of steadfast principle based child rearing. Good job Tim and Donna!

All of these “other” donors are here today, and I take my hat off to them.