Houston man donates kidney to a stranger he met online, learns they have a lot in common
HOUSTON - A Houston man is thankful for the power of social media and the thoughtfulness of a stranger after receiving a life-saving kidney donation.
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In 2011, Dave Barrett was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Over time, it got worse and Barrett developed End-Stage Renal Disease in 2021.
Barrett says he had to get kidney dialysis treatments 3 times a week. Throughout this process, family members and friends learned they were unable to donate their kidneys to help Barrett.
"The advice from the transplant center was just spread the word as far and wide as you can," said Barrett.
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Although Barrett wasn’t hopeful at first, his wife recently posted their situation to the Nextdoor app.
"All of the sudden we got a response from Benny, a total stranger, who lived in the neighborhood," said Barrett.
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Benny Hooper, a neighbor, says he had been wanting to be an organ donor for some time. When he saw Barrett’s post on Nextdoor, something about it inspired him to help.
"I had been thinking about being a donor before," said Hooper. "This is kind of the thing that got me over the hump. It was just a lot of things coming together."
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As the two got to know each other, they learned the both drive blue Kia Souls, have dogs named Lulu, and live in the same area of Houston. However, most importantly after several tests, doctors discovered Hooper was a perfect match to donate a kidney to Barrett.
"I don’t know what the odds are, but they’re not high," said Barrett.
"He’s someone’s dad, he’s someone’s brother, he’s someone’s husband," said Hooper. "So, why not? Even though he’s not my relative."
Dr. Stephanie Yi, a surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital, removed Hooper’s Kidney to give it to Barrett. She says both surgeries were successful.
"It’s really amazing when we see a situation like this kind of evolve," said Dr. Yi. "The goal of the surgery is to protect the donor and to also obtain a very good product for the recipient."
Hooper and Barrett now considered each other close friends. Hooper says he is back to exercising and doing his normal activities. While Barrett says, he feels better than he has in years.
"When you know you can save someone’s life, at least extend it, it’s a good feeling to do that," said Hooper.
"I hope there are more Bennys out there who could save somebody’s life because there’s a lot more need than there are kidneys available," said Barrett. "There’s a lot of people in my situation. So, help somebody out."
To learn more about possibly saving a life, and becoming an organ donor, click HERE.