Veteran receives kidney donation after more than 6 years waiting
By David Jones
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ST. CLOUD, Florida (WESH) — An Army veteran from Osceola County finally received the help he’s been waiting years for in the form of a kidney donation.
Retired MSgt. Owen McCurty, who lives in St. Cloud, was profiled in a November story on WESH 2 as he sought to raise awareness of his situation: high creatinine levels in his kidneys, kidney disease and the need for eventual dialysis.
After retiring from the Army in 2003, he said his issues progressively got worse until he had to be put on Advent Health’s donor list more than six years ago.
“Someone stepping forward to integrate themselves in my journey and giving me something, it would mean the world to me,” McCurty said back in November.
The story aired, and he said messages began coming in from around the country as the story had been picked up by affiliate stations.
Soon, he would meet his kidney match: a woman from Dallas, Texas.
“She Facebooked me first, we talked several times, and she decided to move forward,” McCurty told WESH 2 on Sunday.
“Just like any surgeries, I’m just going through some pain and just a little uncomfortable now, but I’m truly blessed.”
He said her surgery took two-and-a-half hours and his took five-and-a-half hours.
“The coverage you guys did, the news story, the way you laid it out, a lot of times, when people need something, it’s very difficult to get the word out,” McCurty said. “You’ll be amazed, sometimes when people hear your story, the way it’s presented, deep down inside of them, they want to help. That’s exactly what happened to me.”
Now, he said he hopes his story will inspire others to become donors, and he said it’s his hope that stories like his will continue to be highlighted.
“I really strongly believe if you hadn’t done the story, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am today,” McCurty said.
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