Houston father finds kidney donor after random trip to Chinese drive-thru
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston man's plea on the back of his family's SUV is being answered, as he is set to receive his life-saving surgery Tuesday.
For the past 25 years, Steven Stockton has battled diabetes.
"I've lost both my legs," Stockton said. "I've lost probably about 20 percent of my life to it, and if I don't get a kidney soon, I'm going to lose my life to it."
Instead of waiting for a donor, his wife made a plea on their SUV, with a sign that asked for a donor to save Stockton's life.
"She wanted to do whatever she could to help me," Stockton said.
For two years, several people reached out, but for financial and medical reasons, Stockton never got a match.
The winds changed last month when Stockton visited a drive-thru Chinese restaurant.
"She saw the sign on my window and the rest is history," Stockton said.
Melinda Cavazos noticed the words as she walked into work.
"I went straight to the drive-thru and I said, 'your husband needs a kidney?' She said yes. I said, 'I'll do it,'" Cavazos said.
The next day, Cavazos started the process. Doctors determined she's a medical match. She just needs to clear a few more tests.
"I want everybody to know how it is to walk your child down the aisle, and he deserves it," Cavazos said.
"Somebody that's willing to give me life so I can be with them a little bit longer, it's just awe-inspiring," Stockton said.
Stockton isn't allowed to give a donor money. For Cavazos, that's not what she wanted anyways.
"Once I give him my kidney, he's stuck with me, and I'm family," Cavazos said. "You hear that, Steven? We're going to be family."
A deal Stockton is sure to keep no matter the outcome.
"From here on out, I consider her best of friends, and just like a sister," Stockton said.
An addition that will keep the smiles coming.
The National Kidney Foundation says donating this organ doesn't impact someone's life.
As long as they go through the proper medical treatment, the agency says it doesn't shorten someone's life.
If you want to learn more about their journey, visit their GoFundMe page.
