KEITH JONES & HIS HEROES

Kimball's Keith Jones was surrounded by his heroes, living donor Jennifer Kaufman and pair-exchange donor Candy Rodgers, on Monday afternoon for a Donate Life program.

Six months ago, Keith and his living anonymous donor and paired exchange donor were having surgery at UC Health in Aurora, Colo.

On Monday, Keith met Jennifer, his living anonymous donor, for the first time.

Although his paired exchange donor, Candy Rodgers Keith, knew and had previously worked with her, Candy's interest in donating a kidney to Keith was spurred by individuals she knew who were also in need of a kidney. Candy received her donor kit and after 22 tubes of blood tests were tested, it was determined that she was a match for Keith – but unfortuantely her kidney was too small.

Candy said, "It was just smaller than what Keith needed. He would have burned it out too fast."

"I was terrified that I would give my kidney, and he then wouldn't get his," she said. "Something would go wrong before they could get his put in, and he would be in the same position."

Finally, in August 2023, she said, "They called and said we are ready. We have a kidney for Keith and a donor to take your kidney. Do you have a date?"

Candy had been training for a half marathon and wanted to do that, so the transplant was delayed until she had run her half marathon.

On the other hand, the actual kidney donor, Jennifer, began the testing for another individual, but that person received a kidney. She was encouraged to become an anonymous donor for someone else. She said, "Well, I have gone this far, so why the heck not."

Jennifer was approved in July 2023, and in August, she was matched with Keith. Surgery followed on Oct. 11, and Jennifer, Keith and Candy all had surgery within hours of each other.

Jennifer summed up her feelings as a donor: "Your life doesn't really change, but you can really, really make a change for someone else."

The change for Keith has been life altering. He no longer has to be hooked to dialysis for hours at a time. He said he "feels awesome."

Keith's Type 1 diabetes was controlled throughout his childhood, but a rebellious stage hit Keith at college and as a young adult and he did not have proper care. Eventually, Keith got his blood glucose and blood pressure under control again as a mature adult, but the damage was done.

In 2020, Keith was informed by doctors that he needed a kidney transplant. After three years on the transplant list, Keith found his heroes.

Donate Life is a nonprofit that supports organ and tissue donations for 100,000 people in the United States, and 86% of them are in need of a kidney.