Long-lost friend to give Conroe man a kidney, second chance at life

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Long-lost friend to give Conroe man a kidney, second chance at life

by Rosa Flores / 11 News

Posted on November 16, 2009 at 5:11 PM

Updated today at 6:14 PM

CONROE, Texas—A middle school reunion gave a Conroe man a second chance at life.

Travis McGuillian had open heart surgery, diabetes and kidney failure, so he thought his days were numbered.  But after reuniting with some old middle school friends, he found more than just support—he found a friend willing to give up a kidney to save his life.

"It was a conviction.  I felt a very strong need to find out if I could help," said his donor, Daun Wade.

McGuillian and Wade were best friends during their middle school years.  He played football, and she cheered for the team.

Back in 1974, they made a promise to each other that they never forgot.

"We made the agreement that if we had not found anyone to marry that we would marry each other," said Wade.

"I always thought about her. I wondered if she was married or not," said McGuillian.

Then life happened, and they lost touch.

Wade married someone else, and so did McGuillian.

About five months ago, they reunited, but McGuillian had some bad news for Wade.

"I found out about the open heart surgery, the dialysis, the diabetes," said Wade.

She also learned about the kidney McGuillian needed to keep living.  Wade said she felt a calling to give him her kidney.  After months of tests, the two friends found out they were a perfect match.

"So I told him that as soon as he gets my kidney he’s going to have a female part so he’s going to start laughing at commercials," said Wade.

The transplant is set for Tuesday, and their Facebook page is lighting up with messages.  It’s also reminding them of a promise made long ago.

"This is what I had written in his annual back in 8th grade.  Love ya forever... now you’re going to have a piece of me forever," Wade said.

Wade will miss work for about 6 weeks while she recuperates from the surgery.  McGuillian set up a Web site and hopes to raise enough money to cover his donor’s lost wages.  If you’d like to help, just go to www.traviskidney.com.

http://www.khou.com/news/conroe-man-kidney-donor-middle-school-friend-70232077.html