Transplant Story Made For Hollywood, Family Says

Transplant Story Made For Hollywood, Family Says
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 11:03 AM
Updated: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 12:24 PM
WBNS-10TV

BEXLEY, Ohio — Nineteen people die each day awaiting a kidney transplant, and many more hold out for years on the government's national organ donor wait list. But one central Ohio family found a miracle thousands of miles away.
They called it a kidney transplant made for Hollywood, 10TV's Karina Nova reported on Wednesday.

David Chay learned several years ago of his kidney disease, but the situation grew more dire when it was discovered that none of his family members was a match for transplant surgery.

So Chay's wife, Sara, turned to the Internet for help.

"So we knew that we needed to do something and early one morning I went on the Internet and looked for a solution," Sara Chay said. "I Googled again and again and I found MatchingDonors.com."

The Web site is where the Chay family found hope. The non-profit site helps match people in need of organs with willing donors. After doing a little research, Sara put up a profile and waited to hear back.

Less than a week later, she got a phone call.

"Then it was a Godly thing, we heard from Tom," she said. "It was a miracle."

Tom Cavanaugh, a Los Angeles-based entertainment executive who worked on mega-hits like Avatar and television's Glee, turned out to be a possible match. He volunteered to donate a kidney in honor of his father, who did the same, Nova reported.

"We're all walking around with this golden ticket that we can save someone else's life, and I knew it was time to find somebody I can give that to," Cavanaugh said.

After multiple tests, it was determined that Cavanaugh was a match. A few months later, he underwent surgery and donated his kidney to Chay.

"I had to face a day of surgery," Cavanaugh said. "For the last two years, David has woken up, facing possibly the last day of his life. That's the courage in all of this."

The Chay family said otherwise. Cavanaugh, they believe, is the courageous one.

"To give his kidney to a stranger, over the Internet without even knowing what and where and when, I'm still trying to learn from him," said David Chay.

Both men are now recovering from successful surgeries. They also share something special.

"I'm always going to have a connection with these people," Cavanaugh said. "Especially when I look down and see my little scar on my tummy that it was for a good thing."

"There are good people out there," Sara Chay said. "You shouldn't lose hope. You just have to look for the good people."

David Chay was the 131st person to receive a transplant through MatchingDonors.com.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

Additional Information:

MatchingDonors.com

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/health/stories/2010/09/15/story-bexley-kidney-transplant.html?sid=102