Woman Sacrifices Job and Organ To Give Gift Of Life

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Woman Sacrifices Job and Organ To Give Gift Of Life
Woman loses job and car after agreeing to become kidney donor
VIDEO: http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-kidney-donation-story,0,3851851.story
6:08 p.m. CST, December 3, 2010

(Memphis 12/03/2010) This Christmas season one Mid-South woman is taking gift giving to another level.

She's donating the gift of life.

The two women knew each other only in passing but six months ago a conversation sparked a friendship and a bond that will last a lifetime.

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This is one of the last trips to dialysis for Edwina Jones.

For the last 25 years, she's been hooked up to a dialysis machine for four hours a day, three days a week.

Tuesday, her life changes forever.

Jones said, "I was just floored. It was just unbelievable. It really was because it was just a chance in a million and it happened."

She found a kidney donor after a chance conversation with a church member she'd known only in passing.

Jones said, "I just kind of threw out that I was in dialysis and her next words to me were, 'I'll give you a kidney' and I looked at her and said, 'Do you know what you're saying,' and the next thing she said was, 'I've always wanted to give somebody the gift of life'."

Her donor, who turns out to be a perfect match, is 33-year-old LesQuenes Smith.

Smith said, "When you can give a gift back to someone that restores their life. So, I'm just happy to do it for her. It's not about me. It's really about her."

The story of sacrifice doesn't stop there. Smith is somewhat of a modern day Job. Since the transplant process started, the recently divorced mother of five lost her job after her new employer found out she'd be taking off work for the procedure. Her car was also repossessed.

Smith said, "I lost my job. I lost my vehicle but I don't take anything back for what I'm doing. I thank God for using me for being able to be a blessing to her."

Jones said, "I just never met anybody like that. It's just so not about her. I just never met anybody that was that selfless."

Smith said, "In the midst things have transpired. It's never made me change my mind and I have had total peace with it and I'll be so glad when it's over. I'm waiting for Tuesday."

Some employees at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are so impressed by Smith's sacrifice they're sponsoring her five children for the Christmas holiday.

They are also setting up a fund so the public can also help.

Call the UT Health Science Center at 901-448-1164, if you'd like to donate to the Smith Family Transplant Fund.

For more information about how to help, please send emails to: stephanie.scurlock@wreg.com