An Abbotsford father may just get the ultimate Christmas gift. A new kidney.
Last week Jeremy Crowhurst spoke out about his failing kidneys. His kidney function is at just 10 per cent due to an auto-immune disorder.
As the father of three children on the autism spectrum, Crowhurst expressed his desire to provide for his family and see his children grow up.
WATCH: (Aired Nov. 30, 2018) Father with special needs children needs kidney donation
Since then the response has been overwhelming.
“It’s just incredibly moving,” Crowhurst told Global News.
Asked how many have stepped forward and offered to donate a kidney, he said more than 20 people contacted him directly.
One of the offers came from a dad who also has a child with autism. His email said, in part, “what would my son who also has autism feel like if I was taken from him? Your story moved me and what I’m saying is, I’m willing to see if I’m a compatible donor.”
The unusual outpouring of support may help Crowhurst and some of the 534 British Columbians waiting for a kidney transplant. A paired exchange program allows patients with incompatible kidney donors to give them to someone else. In exchange, they receive a compatible kidney.
It will likely be several weeks before potential donors can be assessed, and if they match, the surgery is months away. Well past Christmas, but for Jeremy, the best possible gift he could ever receive.