An incredibly happy ending to a compelling NJ story

It was the end of October of last year that a desperate wife reached out to me asking if we could somehow get the story out about her husband.

Her name is Tammy, and her husband Scott was dying from kidney disease. Scott was running out of time and needed a kidney transplant. He had gone through all of the screening requirements but was held up but one small obstacle. He wasn't vaccinated against COVID.

That was around the time that hospitals were requiring transplant patients to be vaccinated to be eligible for a transplant even though all of the other hurdles had been passed.

Several of Scott's doctors advised him not to get the vaccine due to medications and health conditions that would put him in more jeopardy if he got the shot. That wasn't good enough for one of the nation's most renowned hospitals and Scott and Tammy had to look elsewhere.

Thank God for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital here in New Jersey. They never pushed the issue of the shot for Scott. Through their transplant program and the many amazing people who do amazing work every day, they were able to give Scott the gift of a new kidney and a new lease on life.

But it was not an easy journey. For Scott to get a kidney, his wife Tammy agreed to donate hers in order to broaden the chances of a swap to get Scott a donor kidney. Tammy is not a match, but someone else in need was. Rather than trying to explain the transaction, here is the chart that Tammy provided.

Scott spent about a month recovering in the hospital. He is home now celebrating another birthday and rapidly improving. Tammy recovered quickly from her surgery and sounded so happy, grateful, and relieved when she called us on Tuesday morning.

She had a very funny line at the end of her call illustrating how a sense of humor can help getting through the rough spots in life.

We are all in need of a story with a happy ending these days and we can't thank Tammy enough for sharing the story of her and Scott.

Not only do a few people get to live longer to love and appreciate life, but it is an amazing example of perseverance and the love and devotion of a wife to her husband.

If you want to share this story with people who need to know there is hope and there is light in what seems to be a dark period in our world, share this story.

God Bless Scott and Tammy and ALL of the people who helped them along the way, especially the medical staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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