Woman donates kidney to man who received her late husband's organs 16 years ago
Twice, Jeff Granger's life has been saved by a member of the Herrington family.
In 2004, Bryan Herrington, 35, died after falling off a roof. He was an organ donor, and Granger received Bryan's pancreas and kidney. After the transplant, Granger and his wife Pam began corresponding with Bryan's widow, Terri Herrington, and her sons Drake and Payton. "Just hearing from them, and how much their life had changed, was a healing process for me and my boys in and of itself," Terri said.
Over the last 16 years, the two families have kept in touch by chatting on the phone, checking in with each other on social media, and visiting in person. In January 2019, Jeff learned that his donated kidney was starting to fail, and he would need another transplant. He thought Terri was kidding when she immediately offered to donate hers, but she was serious. "Jeff will still have Bryan's pancreas," she said. "In a way, we'd be back together again."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Doctors conducted testing, and "we were a perfect match," Jeff said. "Just like me and Bryan were." The surgery was in March at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, and both Jeff and Terri have fully recovered. "We aren't organ donor and transplant recipient," Terri said. "Through this connection, we've become family." Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'Will growth slow, or is the economy about to fall off a cliff?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Senate passes FAA bill with new consumer protections
Speed Read The legislation will require airlines to refund customers for flight delays
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pledged pro-oil policy to CEOs, asked for $1B
Speed Read The former president promised to reverse Biden's environmental regulations if elected
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published