It was a tear-jerking moment when a Texas man, who was said to be days away from kidney failure, got the news he’d been waiting for: a new kidney.
A video posted on Vimeo showed the moment Danny Kolzow of Fort Worth, Texas, was given the news from a friend that he would be donating one of his kidneys.
Kolzow has a rare disease and was said to be days away from kidney failure and starting dialysis.
The video, which has been viewed nearly 16,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon, showed Kolzow’s university friend, Graham McMillan, saying he was about to break the good news to Kolzow.
“We just found out that I got approved today,” said McMillan in the video about being able to donate a kidney. “So we’re going to surprise [Kolzow] at work today with this sign.”
The sign read: “Heard urine need of a kidney, want mine?”
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have kidney disease and that it’s the ninth-leading cause of death in the country.
In Canada, the country’s kidney foundation states one in 10 people have kidney disease and it’s the 10th-leading cause of death.
McMillan told NBC affiliate KXAS News he came up with the idea after none of Kolzow’s family members turned out to be a match for him and Kolzow joked about McMillan texting him on finding out if he was a “perfect match…to save (his) life.”
So, with the sign in hand, McMillan entered the hospital Kolzow worked at and asked him if he wanted his kidney.
Kolzow broke down in tears and the two embraced.
“My kidney’s going inside that body right there,” McMillan is heard saying to Kolzow in the video.
The surgery took place on July 27 and a statement between both families read in part: “Danny and Graham are recovering, doing well and praising Jesus.”