NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — The perfect match: a brother learned he's able to donate his kidney to his sick sister. Now, the siblings are spreading awareness about the gift of giving.
Tabula Lowes can’t help but to smile thinking about her brother, Tony Murrell. For 16 years, Murrell ran in and out of burning buildings saving lives.
And this fire captain is not done saving. When Murrell got the call to help save his sister's life, there was no hesitation.
"When she called and asked me, I was honored to do this," said Murrell. "I’m always helping, that’s a part of me. That’s just what I do."
Two years ago, Lowe was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. Sixty days later, she started dialysis and eight months later, she was on the kidney transplant list.
"My siblings, which I have a lot of them outside of me, they decided to go and find out their blood types because that’s the first step in becoming a match," said Lowe.
Out of her eight siblings, one was the perfect match. Murrell traveled all the way to Chicago, where his sister lives, to find out if he could save her life.
"He said 'do you need a kidney,' I said 'yes' and he said 'then it’s done, if I’m a match it’s done,'" said Lowe.
The operation is scheduled hopefully for some time in October.
Lowe, like most sisters, was worried about her brother being a donor, but they knew through their faith this is supposed to happen.
"I love my sister and it’s not about me personally, it’s about giving a kidney, but it’s also about helping people," he said.
Now they’re hoping their story can help other people to scheduled that needed health checkup, reach out for help and become a organ donor.
Lowe can’t help but to call her brother a hero, but he’ll be the first say that title goes to her.
The two have setup a GoFundMe account to help with medical expenses.
