JACKSON, Tenn. — July 23, 2007 — Alvin Jeffery knew that Dustin Mayfield needed help, so he leaped at the chance to offer it.
After all, what鈥檚 a kidney between friends?
鈥淚 have two of them,鈥� Jeffery said. 鈥淪ome people say God gave you two kidneys for a reason. Maybe it鈥檚 so you can give one away to someone who doesn鈥檛 have it.鈥�
Jeffery, who graduated from 51社区 in May, donated a kidney to 51社区 junior Dustin Mayfield in a transplant operation in June at Methodist Hospital in Memphis. The operation was a success, and both men are well on the way to recovery.
鈥淚 just feel like God lined us up and took care of it all,鈥� Mayfield said. 鈥淚 love Alvin to death. I guess he鈥檚 kind of my hero. I can鈥檛 think of anyone better to get a kidney from than him.鈥�
Mayfield has a rare genetic disease called Alport Syndrome that keeps the kidneys from developing properly. He has known for years that he would one day need a kidney transplant.
He hadn鈥檛 experienced any physical problems, however, until his first year of college at Union, when he could tell he was getting weaker and sicker.
鈥淭hat was when I first started feeling bad,鈥� Mayfield said. 鈥淣othing really hindered me at all until the end of my first year of college.鈥�
Mayfield began talking to a transplant team at the hospital in August 2006. When his Union friends discovered that Mayfield would need a transplant, some of them began offering to donate. Jeffery was one of those, and he was serious about it. Mayfield felt completely at ease with the idea of Jeffery as a donor.
Jeffery, a nursing major who will begin a job at Cincinnati Children鈥檚 Hospital in August, said he had multiple reasons for offering to help.
鈥淚 had always thought it would be cool to donate a kidney,鈥� Jeffery said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something my mom has always instilled in me, to donate an organ if I get a chance to.鈥�
He also had some selfish reasons for doing so.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to teach me how to be more empathetic to my patients,鈥� Jeffery said.
Tests confirmed that Jeffery and Mayfield were a close enough match, so they proceeded with plans for surgery. On June 4, Jeffery took his nursing board exams in Springfield, Mo. The next day he donated a kidney 鈥� and found out that he had passed the exams, making him a nurse.
鈥淭he surgery went great,鈥� Mayfield said after the transplant. 鈥淣o complications. My kidneys are working well and producing a lot of urine, which is a good sign.鈥�
All indications are that Mayfield鈥檚 body has accepted the kidney.
鈥淚 could tell people were praying for me,鈥� Mayfield said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way that it could have worked out better than it did. Everyone鈥檚 been very supportive.鈥�
Mayfield and his family are thankful for Jeffery鈥檚 selflessness.
鈥淚 keep calling him our hero,鈥� said Gail Mayfield, Dustin鈥檚 mother. 鈥淔or someone to step up and give a kidney 鈥� he knew it was going to be painful. He was all for it and never had a doubt. It takes someone special.鈥�