Howie Day (standing), living kidney donor, and Thom Hobbs, kidney recipient

Living kidney donor, Howie Day, started the process of becoming a living kidney donor with one of his wife’s friends. When that didn’t work out, he realized he was still motivated to give. So, he searched online for a recipient, and found Thom Hobbs of Maryville, through his wife’s Facebook page. “They gave me the information for the Center for Transplant Services at UT Medical Center,” said Howie. “It all worked out perfectly from there.”

“It Was a No-Brainer for Me”

Now, nine months after the surgery, Howie and Thom are friends for life. “The Transplant Center was awesome,” said Howie. “It was the best experience.” While some people didn’t understand why Howie would donate a kidney to a stranger, he said, “It was a no-brainer for me. If I had five more kidneys, I’d give every single one away.”

For more information regarding living kidney donation, please call Ashley Dennis at 865-305-5340.