Abbotsford hot dog hero donates kidney to save customer’s life

People love to joke about the animal parts used to make hot dogs, but its a rare day the story is about a part of the hot dog vendor.

But that’s the case with Andrew ‘Skully’ White, Abbotsford’s hot dog king and — now — reluctant hero.

White is well know around town for the hot dog stand he operates out of a Canadian Tire parking lot, though it’s name, Lully’s Food Experience, belies the fact it’s slinging no ordinary wieners.

White imports beef brisket from Montreal, foot-longs from Nathan’s Famous in New York and pretzel buns from Brooklyn.

But enough about what White sells, this is about what he’s giving away: a kidney. And to a virtual stranger.

“It took me by surprise when he told me, ‘Hey, I’m going to give up a part of my body to some dude,’ but hey, that’s just Skully, man, he gives 110 per cent every time,” said Wade Nordquist, one of White’s regular customers.

“Don’t let it go to his head, but he’s one of the greatest guys I know.”

“Some dude” in this case is Tim Hiscock, a 45-year-old husband and father with diabetes that turned into advanced kidney failure.

Hiscock was a semi-regular customer at Lully’s but White told Global News he’d been seeing the man less and less over the last year.

2:03 Global viewer gives kidney to father of special needs children

In fact, White only learned Hiscock’s name in June, when his health declined so far that he had to give up a number of foods.

“I didn’t even know what his first name was until his wife told me not to feed him without her permission,” White quipped.

Then last month, Hiscock’s condition took a turn for the worse.

“He came out of the Canadian Tire in December, and he looked like he was 85 years old. And that’s when they told me that he needed a kidney,” White said.

White asked what the requirements were to donate, and promised if he was a match he’d offer up the organ.

“People say they’ll do things that they never do,” said Hiscock, who couldn’t believe someone he barely knew would make that kind of offer.

“There’s something about him, it’s like the way we told him the story and the very next day he called and said OK.”

In fact, it was a few days later when White found out he was a match while sitting at the pub with friends and committed publicly on Facebook to going through with the operation.

2:05 Pee wee hockey team finds kidney donor for coach

That move has earned him the title “hero” among many — but it’s one he rejects.

“I got two, I don’t need it. It’s like an old set of luggage, get rid of it,” he told Global News.

“It’s like driving down a dirt road in the pouring rain and you see a car on the side of the road and they need help changing a tire, you get out and you help ’em.”

While White might joke that his kidney is little more than chopped liver, there’s no question the offer has meant the world to Hiscock, promising him a second chance at life.

The pair still have to undergo some testing, and no date has been scheduled yet for the operation.

“He’s just a great guy, I can’t thank him enough,” said Hiscock. “He’ll always be in my heart. It’s sad, you’re going to make me cry.”

In the meantime, White will keep slinging dogs to all comers — unless they have a predilection for one of his forbidden condiments, or the wrong soccer team.

“The most important rule after no ketchup and sauerkraut: no Manchester United,” White said.

“That is a given. Anybody shows up in one of those they can go to Subway.”