MERCER COUNTY — A Miami Valley sheriff began a donation chain that led to five people receiving new organs this month.
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Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman recently donated his kidney to a total stranger.
That stranger, Joy Wagner, was placed on the transplant list over the summer, according to our news partners at WBNS in Columbus.
“Basically, for me it was just normal bloodwork through my regular doctor. We started seeing my kidney function go down probably in the last 15 years. We just steadily watched it go down,” Wagner said.
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Timmerman told WBNS that he started looking into kidney donation after his father became sick with kidney disease. While he wasn’t able to donate to his father, he still wanted to help someone.
“This time it was like, well, if this is what I can do, then hopefully it helps somebody else have a better life, so that didn’t make the decision that hard,” he said.
After Timmerman’s kidney went to Wagner, her husband, who wasn’t a donation match for her, donated his kidney to someone else. That donation caused the recipient’s loved one to donate to someone else.
WBNS reported that the chain continued until five people received new organs.
Timmerman and Wagner were able to meet for the first time when he was discharged following his surgery.
“I think the first text I sent her was I always wanted it to go to a good person and obviously she’s that,” Timmerman said.
Two weeks later, they met again.
“He said to me at the very beginning, ‘I don’t want to intrude on your life.’ I’m like ‘Dude, you’re family now, there’s no way around it,’” Wagner said.
Wagner added that the kidney was the “biggest” and “best” gift she’s ever gotten.
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