Pastor’s decision to donate kidney leads to 2nd match
The Rev. Michael Blackburn, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, in his Spokane church Friday. Recently, Blackburn donated a kidney.
The Jan. 20 photo of Megan Dunnagan on the front page of The Spokesman-Review caught the Rev. Michael Blackburn’s eye. He scanned the headline, “We’ve been waiting long enough” and saw the story was about a 28-year-old woman in desperate need of a kidney transplant.
But Blackburn, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, didn’t read the article.
A few days later, he perused the classified ads. “I noticed an ad: kidney needed,” he recalled. The coincidence struck him. “I’d never thought about being a kidney donor – I didn’t know anything about being a living donor.”
But after reading the ad, he couldn’t get it out of his mind. “The thought wouldn’t go away,” he said. “I’ve learned that’s God trying to get my attention.”
He retrieved the newspaper from the recycling bin and read the story about Dunnagan. Then he went online and did some research about being a living kidney donor. Blackburn said, “They have videos of the surgery on YouTube.” He shook his head, “I didn’t watch those.”
Instead, he picked up the phone and called the number listed in the ad. More here. Cindy Hval, SR
Would you ever consider being a living donor?
