LUBBOCK, Texas — Daniel Bloodworth returned from a trip that he said changed his life. He got home Wednesday from San Antonio after a transplant surgery with Mike Woody, a man who was once a complete stranger.
“Getting in there and sitting in the hospital, I started to get a little nervous going in there,” Bloodworth said. “I can’t back down and I’m already here. I can’t do that.”
Once the surgery was over, Bloodworth received news the transplant was successful, and the kidney was taken well. He said when he saw Woody after surgery, he was glad he did it.
“The kidney took immediately, and he was doing very well for just coming out of surgery and I was in tears so I couldn’t handle it,” Bloodworth said.
Woody said Bloodworth gave him a second chance at life with his kidney, after many years on dialysis with health restrictions.
“He’s my hero, you know I mean, he gave me a new lease on life because I was chained to this machine four days a week at roughly 7 hours of a treatment,” Woody said.
Woody said he never imagined he’d be on such a long medical journey that would leave him mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. In 2019, not only would he discover he had prostate cancer, but he was only born with one working kidney that now had a tumor.
He was able to beat prostate cancer, but after 50 years of unknowingly operating on one kidney, he would now need a kidney transplant.
Bloodworth said one of the best parts about the process was meeting Woody and his family, who were appreciative of what he did.
“I got a text from one of those, assuming it’s his daughter because it’s his granddaughter’s mother. Just thanking me for everything,” Bloodworth said.
Woody said he hopes he can now grow old with his new kidney, hoping to experience milestones and life the way it’s supposed to be experienced.
“I got a granddaughter that just turned 10 years old, I want to see her graduate, I want to see her getting married, have children,” Woody said. “There are things I want to be around for and had it not been for Daniel, I wouldn’t probably wouldn’t have done it.”
Woody said he hopes this journey helps people, help people, and realize each person who did a selfless act would make the world a better place.
“I hope somebody is inspired by it and stops and thinks you know that they could give somebody the gift of life like Daniel did for me and be a hero to somebody,” Woody said.
Woody said he is looking forward to going back to work, hanging out with his granddaughter, and being an advocate for kidney transplants and donations. Bloodworth has set up a GoFundMe to offset the expenses of the surgery.
For more information and resources on Kidney donation visit the National Kidney Foundation website.
