Call of fate and good intentions that saved lives (6 photos)

The desire to help one's neighbor is not such a common occurrence in our world. Even more selfless. But, probably, someone invisible and omnipotent is still monitoring the processes if everything turns out as in the case of this person.





Pat O'Shaughnessy, a 64-year-old man from Danville, Illinois, a former businessman and now a happy retiree, was enjoying his free time and trying to play more with his little granddaughter. Moreover, Pat was recovering from knee surgery.



Pat O'Shaughnessy

Friends told him that their daughter’s husband urgently needed a kidney transplant. 31-year-old Perry Hess was born with one fully functioning organ. And until a certain point, I did not experience any particular inconvenience, except for the need to undergo therapy once every 6 months.

But in recent years his condition worsened, and in 2022 he began to undergo dialysis.





Pat told Today that he was determined to help the young man and contacted the medical center, filling out an online application about his desire to become a donor. The process turned out to be fraught with bureaucratic routine. Because in addition to his own medical history, the volunteer had to provide documents from his brothers and sisters, of which Pat has eight.

This was followed by conversations with doctors and social workers, each of whom explained in detail the nuances in their field and the possible risks.



Perry Hess, Katie and Pat O'Shaughnessy

Finally, last October, O'Shaughnessy went to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, for testing. The man donated 28 blood tubes alone.

During a stress test on the treadmill, the phone rang. The nurse told Pat that, unfortunately, he could not become a donor for Hess or anyone else. Because a huge malignant tumor was discovered on the kidney that was planned to be donated.



For Pat, the news came as a shock. The wife was shocked. Kidney cancer in the early stages usually does not make itself felt. And the disease is diagnosed during other examinations. As was the case with O'Shaughnessy.

David Thiel, a urologist at the Mayo Clinic, explained to the patient that about 30% of patients die without knowing their diagnosis. Pat underwent surgery to remove a growth the size of an avocado and save 2/3 of the organ. No additional therapy was needed, only regular checks for possible relapse.

A couple of months after the operation, life gradually began to return to normal. True, Pat was upset that he had failed in his mission to donate the kidney to Perry. And he thanked him for unwittingly saving his life. After all, if he had not decided to help, his days would have been numbered.



The lucky man himself commented on what happened to him as follows:

I had a great life, a great career, a great marriage, three wonderful children and four amazing grandchildren. Perry and Katie deserve the same chance. I didn't succeed, but others can. And I would like to open the door to others who have the same kind heart.

O'Shaughnessy's generosity, selflessness and desire to help others ultimately saved his own life.