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By Leila Merrill
FireRescue1
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Firefighter Tim Belcher donated one of his kidneys to a coworker’s young son on Tuesday.
Lt. Joe Sexton’s son John, 7, became “very sick nearly two years ago with e-coli that developed into a rare disease called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which ultimately destroyed his kidneys, requiring a transplant. John was placed on the donor registry, and his family began the agonizing task of actively searching for a living donor and getting tested themselves,” the fire department posted on Facebook on Thursday.
Without telling Sexton at the time, Belcher was tested to see if he would be a match.
“It was a no brainer. I felt like it’s something we all would do or should do,” Belcher told WKYT this week.
Sexton is grateful.
In an email update Sexton sent to the department, he wrote, “What is so very special is that the donor for John is one of our own, FF Tim Belcher. I am speechless, humbled, and forever thankful for the selfless act that Tim is willing to do for my son. I have no words to express my gratitude to Tim and his family.”
The surgery went well, and both patients are recovering.
With his gift, Belcher was “representing the very best of a Lexington firefighter,” the department said in a post.