Menomonee Falls man looking for kidney donation gets gift of life from neighbor in Franklin

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (CBS 58) — CBS 58 first launched you to Tom Zachek again in February, when he was on the lookout for a kidney. On Wednesday, October 2 the Menomonee Falls man bought to satisfy the one who saved his life.

Carl Williams was impressed by a pal who had had a kidney transplant who not too long ago handed away, and it was one thing he had at all times wished to do. So when he discovered himself at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Heart, he walked proper as much as the kidney clinic to supply up certainly one of his personal.

After looking for a kidney donation for 3 years, Tom Zachek lastly discovered a donor.

“It was a shock. It was a whole shock,” mentioned Zachek. “It took some time to course of at first. It’s phenomenal.”

Zachek mentioned ready may be very discouraging. He had beforehand even made t-shirts and had taken to social media as a Hail Mary the place his image was shared 1000’s of instances.

“I believed that in my future was dialysis a yr or two down the street,” mentioned Zachek. “My weaker moments, I didn’t suppose I’d stay to see 80 years previous.”

Zachek’s donor by no means noticed that t-shirt.

As a substitute, by a stroke of luck, Zachek discovered his match when Carl Williams walked into Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Heart.

“I used to be on the hospital right here with my niece who was in for about 20 days,” mentioned Williams. “And at some point I simply walked as much as the kidney clinic and mentioned, ‘I’d prefer to donate a kidney.’”

Williams mentioned he didn’t care who bought it so long as he might assist save somebody.

The 2 males are comparable in age; Tom is 71 and Carl is 70. Each males are retired academics and stay simply miles away from one another — Tom in Menomonee Falls, and Carl in Franklin.

Between cracking jokes, and ending one another’s sentences, it appeared as in the event that they’d already recognized one another from earlier than.

“It’s an excellent kidney, and it’s working for me superbly,” mentioned Zachek. “Put’s out like a fireplace hydrant.”

“Effectively, it’s not that a lot youthful than you,” Williams replied.

Jokes apart, they each reiterated the significance and ease of organ donation.

“I would like to encourage anybody who has the possibility to consider donating a kidney. I used to be telling Tom earlier that, having gone by it, and the discomfort and ache after the surgical procedure I might do it once more in a heartbeat,” mentioned Williams.

As they each snigger by the ache of their therapeutic sutures, they know that in sharing the reward of life, they’ve additionally gained a pal to share that journey with.