- Jereme Peterson's was operating at 2% kidney functionality, he was in desperate need of a transplant, a wait time that is often between 3 to 6 years.
- Lifesaving help came in the form of his former Blountstown High School school friend, Angelina Attaway- Baker.
- Watch the video to hear their story and how the two connected over 25 years later to save his Jereme's life.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Childhood connections can run deep for some, especially small town communities. An original connection made at Blountstown High School, ended up being the relationship that would save a man's life.
Jereme Peterson needed a saving grace.
"Be honest with me, what would happen if I stopped doing dialysis?," Peterson asked his doctor.
Dialysis at this point was an ingrained part of his daily routine that took up 10 hours of his day, each day.
"He was like, you've got two months to live," said Peterson, describing the severity of his situation.
Kidney disease meant Jereme's kidney function was at just 2%.
"People are waiting on the wait list, anywhere generally from 3 to 6 years depending on your blood type," said Doctor Tiffany Anthony, Abdominal Transplant Surgeon.
"It was tough, it was tough," said Peterson.
Then, almost 800 miles away from his new home in Dallas Texas, to his hometown of Blountstown, Florida. His call for help was answered, from an old school friend, Angelina Attaway-Baker.
"We came from a very small high school so everyone knew everyone," said Attaway-Baker.
"They said you have a living donor, and I said wait, what?", said Peterson, describing his shock.
"I felt led to do it, and I just did it," said Attaway-Baker.
Attaway-Baker said she wanted to remain anonymous until after the operation, just in case anything went wrong.
"I worked in dialysis 10+ years ago…I've seen the devastation, I've seen what it's like when it's day in, day out, just grueling," said Attaway-Baker.
But as fate would have it, they ended up bumping into each other right before their appointments at the Medical City Transplant Institute in Texas.
"The guy was in front me. He went to turn. And I was like, that's him," said Attaway-Baker, recounting the memory of their reunion.
"She was like I'm your donor, and I'm like wait, say that again, you're what, and she was like, yeah, I'm your donor," said Peterson.
"I could just see the relief, and I think that was more heavy than anything," said Attaway-Baker.
"All the emotion just ran through me at one time and I couldn't move, I froze," said Peterson.
Now several months post operation, Attaway-Baker said they've been keeping in touch.
"We always say, how's our kidney doing," said Attaway-Baker.
A renewed lifeline indebted to hometown roots.
"Love, just pure love," said Peterson.
During her conversations on the phone with Peterson, Attaway-Baker said they are both feeling grateful, happy, and healthy post surgeries.
