National Donation Month

National Donation Month

>> as you just heard, doctors around the nation performing organ transplants are challenged by covid-19, but the need is critical.

As we continue our celebration for those who give the gift of life, we would like to introduce you to a donor and a recipient.

Star is a donor and jones is her recipient.

And she's his mother.

To think this all started in a parking lot in west ashley, and first of all, i want to pose a question to star.

Star being the donor of a kidney, and what happened when you pulled into that parking lot at wal-mart?

>> so when i pulled into the parking lot at wal-mart, i can still feel it like a year later, but i pulled in and i parked reliant next to la honda's car,r immediately saw the message on the back of the car, and it's overwhelming, the feelings that i had, but i immediatelyel felt her pain with out knowing who she was.

I felt a lot mom's just pleading and begging for somebody who help her son.

So so i knew that i needed to get a picture of it, and considering if this is something that i could do or not.

>> la shonda, you wrote a plea on your car for help, and did you think that anyone would ever answer that call?

>> no, i asked him every day, did he get calls?

And not everyone was calling and saying that they were going to do it.

But i never thought that we would have a donor.

>> how long did you have the plea written on your car before star called you?

>> i think it was like november after daniel got out of icu.

It was the beginning of november.

>> so let's talk about that.

That was just a few months prior to czar making that phonecall.

Now, let's talk about daniel's health.

Daniel, how old are you?

>> 25.

>> 25, and you spent some time in the icu.

What about your health was it, in the icu that you needed the kidney transplant?

>> i was younger, and the reason i went into the icu was that the port in my arm got infected and i was running a high fever, and i was not breathing the right way that i was supposed to, and when i went for dialysis, i called my mom to tell her that they were going to take me to the hospital.

And i got to the hospital in the icu.

>> so la shonda, you must have been frighted out of your mind when you discovered that your son had this issue with his health.

And what went through your mind, and what did the doctors tell?

>> i was at the point, there's nothing i can do.

I wanted to give him a kidney, but me being the carrier of the kidney disease, i wouldn't be able to do it.

So seeing how we went to the emergency room, and seeing him, he was hallucinating.

>> he was really in dire straits, and star, when you called up that number, you did not know first of all that you were a match with daniel.

And you did not know that he had gone through all of these issues prior to your calling, so here you are, kind of an angel coming to the rescue.

What was a point where they said you are a match, when are you ready to make the donation?

Can you make the donation now?

>> well, i think i went through -- so whenever i first called him, i told him that i saw it.

And i was interested in getting tested and even on the phone he sounded weak and i thought he was like a 40-year-old person.

He sent me the information, and i remember just texting him and saying thank you, this has hit me, if i'm not the match, i know somebody will be.

And we never spoke again.

And it probably took six months to actually do all of the testing.

And also -- >> here you are, you made the donation, and daniel is living proof.

And he's healthy and you're healthy and of course we have to keep everyone quarantined and stay healthy and i want to thank you all so much for sharing your story.

You truly are an inspiration, and it's so important to get the word out to know that donations are needed.