Gwinnett woman donates kidney to her neighbor's son

ATLANTA, GA - One Gwinnett County teen didn't have to look far when he needed a life-saving kidney donation. He just had to look next door.

Will Walker was diagnosed with a kidney disorder at 11 years old. He's happy and healthy now after the surgery went well. 

For about a year and a half, the 13-year old has been living with a rare kidney disease that temporarily slowed him down from being a kid.

Will's mom Jennifer says they were tipped off about his illness at a routine check-up.

"In December of 2017 at his regular physical, the doctor noticed that he hadn't gained any height or weight in just over two years," Jennifer Walker said.

After the initial discovery, doctors sent Will over to get further testing.

This process took hours before they were sent home, but later that day Will's mom got the call that would change everything.

 "We came and home and went to lunch, which was probably the worst lunch he could've probably eaten that day. And then we went to Publix to go grocery shopping, and while we were standing in the parking lot at publix I got a call from the hospital and they said 'Will's in renal failure. You need to come back right now,'" Jennifer recalled.

Jennifer says they went back to the hospital for an ultrasound, and Will's kidneys were functioning at less than 10 percent.

When he found out the news, Will says he remained optimistic.

 "I was kind of shocked but didn't cry," he said. "I was glad that it wasn't cancer or anything."

Immediately they knew Will needed a transplant. This can usually take months, sometimes even years, before a match is found.

But there was someone who immediately knew she wanted to help as soon as she heard the news.

"When I offered I didn't even think twice of it, I just knew I would be a match from the beginning. I had already worked out in my mind how I would take time off if it was needed. But it all just fell in place," Mary Jo Ray-Jewett said.

Ray-Jewett isn't related to the Walkers, but she is very close to the family.

"We moved into the neighborhood in 2015. And we just had a regular neighborly relationship. Waving from across the street, chit-chatting when we were both in the yard," she said.

Being a good neighbor paid off for a lifetime. Mary Jo was a match and was able to be Will's donor.

The family says it's hard to express how appreciative they are to have her in their lives.

"I can't without crying," Jennifer Walker says. "I tell her every day we text. He wouldn't be a kid without her. We're forever thankful." 

Ray-Jewett wants others to know that the recovery process after donating a kidney is not as tough as one would think. She says there are a few weeks of discomfort, but Tylenol does help.

To learn more about donating a kidney, click here.