Best friend turns out to be best match for kidney donation
Kevin and Jay have been best friends for most of their lives. So, when Jay was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy (also known as Berger disease) in 2009, Kevin was there to support his friend.
Kevin said, “I work in the medical field as a physician assistant, so Jay would call me when something was wrong, and I’d accompany him to the emergency room or tell him what he should do.”
Over time, the disease progressed, attacking Jay’s kidneys and forcing him to start dialysis. He was placed on the waiting list, and it was then that his family and friends began getting tested to see if their kidneys might be a match. From that group, three excellent candidates emerged, and of those three, the “best” match was Kevin—Jay’s best friend.
On May 13, 2025, the transplant took place at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Since then, both men have recovered and are doing well.
Jay has founded a nonprofit to help raise money to renovate a playground in his hometown—the same playground where Jay and Kevin played when they were kids.
You can read more about Jay’s transplant journey and his nonprofit work by clicking here.