Kidney Exchange Program Links Friends From Minnesota, Georgia

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If given the chance to save a life, most of us would do what they can to help.

For Pastor Jeff Marian, that meant donating a kidney for his friend, Linda Nelson.

That gesture would end up saving two lives, and also marked the beginning of friendships more than 1,000 miles away.

"They told me 97 percent of the population would not match me," Nelson said.

Marian says the decision was simple for him.

"If Linda doesn't get a kidney, she's going to die. I have two. I only need one. Do the math," Marian said.

They were not compatible, but a paired exchange program -- a sort of organ swap -- offered an alternative.

"If you're a match for somebody and their donor might be a match for Linda, or sometimes there are multiple people involved, that would be another way for you to be involved in the process," Marian said.

There was a match in Georgia days later – for both Nelson and Marion's recipient.

Tyler Leach waited a year to donate his kidney for Judy Balcomb, his mother's best friend.

"Jeffrey just turned out to be the perfect match," said Balcomb.

"Truly from the day I did my research to the day I spoke to the doctors, I just felt very comfortable," Leach said.

Surgery brought an instant bond, and the gratitude for this gift is best said in person.

Four new friends can now share stories of weddings, grandchildren and time with family; life moments of a once unlikely future.

"People are healthy and that's all that matters at the end of the day," Leach said.

Marian and Leach say they do not have any lasting health issues after donating a kidney. Nelson and Balcomb both say they feel healthy and grateful.

Click here to learn more about the paired exchange program.