GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Armando Favela gets along with just about everybody he meets. At Munson Dialysis Center, the nurses all know him by name. His kind-hearted reputation also spread quickly through his church in Traverse City. But Favela, 67, never knew making friends on Sunday would one day save his life.
Favela has suffered from diabetes for decades. Over the years, the disease has taken its toll on his kidneys. He has to be on dialysis 9 hours a week. That is until toady.
Favela is now recovering from a kidney transplant at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. His donor, Larry Wakefield, decided that he wanted to help and volunteered to give Favela an organ.
“I love that man you know. I’ll be in debt to him the rest of my life because he has put a few more years in my life,” Favela said.
The director of Saint Mary’s Transplant Program said donors like Wakefield, 41, are far and few between. Simie Bredeweg said most people spend years on a transplant list waiting for a deceased donor. “Right now our wait list for a deceased donor is probably three to five years...when someone is on dialysis that is a really long time.”
Minutes before today’s transplant surgery, Wakefield told 7&4 news that he hopes his actions will motivate others to do the same. “I have no regrets, and I really encourage everybody out there to get informed and get educated on it because it is such a good cause. I really hope me doing this act encourages somebody to do the same thing because it is the right thing to do.”
If you would like to know more about being an organ donor, you can find all the information you need at Gift of Life.
