Nov 20, 2013 By Hannington Dia
Just in time for Thanksgiving, a Chicago teenager whose mother is on dialysis will donate his kidney to a stranger so she can receive one from another donor, CBS Chicago reports.
Tevin Hamilton (pictured left) has always wanted to give his mom, Rhonda McClarn (pictured right), one of his kidneys, but found out it would be incompatible with her body when he turned 18–the legal age one can consent to such an operation. So he agreed to what is known as a paired kidney exchange. Hamilton will donate one of his kidneys to a compatible stranger. In turn, his mom will receive a kidney from a compatible donor.
Watch a news report featuring Hamilton and his mother here:
It was a long time coming, as Hamilton was just six years old when he discovered his mother needed the transplant surgery.
“When I first found out, it was kind of sad, because I was like, ‘Now she’s helpless,’ and I want to save her,” he said.
But he is helpless no more and neither is his mother. Doctors recently found a match for her and the two will undergo their surgeries on November 25th. “I just cried and prayed, cried and prayed, because I didn’t think I would ever hear that,” McClarn said.
The grateful mother says she has a special child and appreciates her his loving gesture. “Yes I do. I love him so much,” she said.
As for Hamilton, he has no worries regarding the upcoming operation, given the time it has taken to find a donor match.
“I’m excited. I’m ready to go.”
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