Doctors Begin Performing Kidney Transplant, Stop In Their Tracks As They Begin Operating On Donor

When Don Herbert first ran into Pastor Tim Jones, he had no idea that the chance encounter was about to take them on a journey that would forever change both men.

Their lives were intertwined in a way that would only be revealed after the two ended up in the hospital. While the Pastor was bleeding on the operating table, doctors were working hard to save Don’s life in another room.

Just a few weeks earlier, in October of 2014, Don and his wife, Belinda, were driving around town looking for yard sales. They spotted one at a nearby church, but it wasn’t the baked goods or knick-knacks that caught Don’s attention. He heard a loud noise coming from the church, and went to investigate.

Don was immediately drawn to the beautiful music that was coming from inside the church. It resonated with his soul, since he himself was a proud gospel singer. That’s when he met Pastor Tim Jones, who shared Don’s love for gospel music. They spoke briefly, and Don mentioned to the pastor that he was part of a singing quartet. Tim saw how passionate Don was about music, and invited the man to sing in an upcoming revival with his church’s gospel group.

Little did the two men know that they would soon be sharing something on a much deeper level, that went beyond just a heartwarming friendship.

At the time, Don was suffering from a very serious and life-threatening health condition, but he wasn’t about to discuss something so personal with someone he had just met. It didn’t matter that his new friend was actually a man of God, and the perfect person to confide in.

However, Pastor Tim would soon play a leading role in an amazing story that neither men could ever have imagined.

Six months earlier, Don had undergone a liver transplant after suffering from a chronic illness for over 12 years. Although the transplant was deemed a success, his kidneys started failing, which meant that he needed to undergo
yet another life-saving transplant.

Yet, Don wasn’t too worried. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, he said:

I had a strong faith that God was going to take care of me no matter what happened.

However, his wife Belinda wasn’t so sure about her own faith in God. Due to her husband’s extended illness, she felt alone, depressed and very discouraged.

When Belinda realized she could no longer bear the weight on her own, and she began to question her faith in the Lord. In a personal conversation with her ultimate savior, she told him:

You told me that you wouldn’t give me any more than I can handle.

The Lord responded in kind, by saying that:

Well, that’s not really what I said. ‘Cause if you could always handle the things, then why would you need me? So, you need to just release it. Give me your burdens. I’ll carry them.

She decided to give up her burdens and renew her faith in God. It couldn’t come at a better time, because he was about to test her faith in a big way.

The next day, doctors at Duke Medical Center found blockages in Don’s heart. He needed cardiac catherterization, but his already compromised kidneys wouldn’t survive the new surgery that he so desperately needed.

Don would have to go on dialysis until he found a kidney donor, but that could take up to 7 years, if he was lucky.

I can’t believe that God’s brought me through this major transplant, and now here I am, facing something like this.

After receiving guidance from God, Belinda took charge and posted a plea for donors on their shared Facebook page.

I am willing to be the donor but I do not have insurance coverage and we can not afford it. It is so hard to ask something so tremendous and so humbling but I want the man I love to live a long life. I do want to grow old with him by my side. I am asking for help! If anyone would be interested in being the donor or help organize fund raisers or donate to raise funds to purchase insurance for me just long enough to get though the testing please message me.

The couple had over 500 friends, so surely one of them could help, or knew someone that would be willing to donate a kidney.

When Pastor Tim, who was now friends with Don on Facebook, saw the message, he got tears in his eyes. He was so moved by the fact that Belinda didn’t want to lose her best friend.

Tim was the first to respond to the plea for help. Without hesitation, he offered to be a kidney donor to a man he had only met two weeks prior.

He didn’t yet realize the impact his selfless act would have on his own health and livelihood.

Tim turned out to be a perfect organ donor match. Although the odds of being a match were an astounding 1 in 20,000, it was really no coincidence for those who had faith that God would take care of them.

However, the Lord’s work turned out to be even more incredible than either family could have hoped for. When doctors began performing the kidney transplant, they found something in the donor that turned out to be a true twist of fate.

Doctors discovered that Pastor Tim had an aneuryism, which if ruptured, would be fatal. Because he was willing to make a personal sacrifice to save someone else’s life, God saw fit to make sure that Tim would also be saved during the process.

The surgery was an instant success. Two men giving each other the gift of life is a fitting end to a wonderful story.

Although their surgery is over, it’s definitely not the end of the line for these men. Their journey and everlasting friendship is only just beginning.

This is a truly unbelievable and inspiring story. One man was willing to give up a part of himself to save another soul, and in turn his own life was saved. There’s definitely a higher power at work here.

To know the rest of the story, hit the play button. Also remember to hit the like button and share with your friends and relatives.