Logansport man getting new kidney thanks to woman from his church

LOGANSPORT, Ind. – A Logansport man is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after years of health issues.

Tens of thousands of people are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. For years, one of those people was Doug Pomeroy. He is just weeks away from his own kidney transplant, but it wouldn’t even be happening if a woman from his church hadn’t volunteered to give him one of hers.

Doug Pomeroy was full of life up until 18-years ago. That is when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

“My immune system is deleted because of… I’m missing six organs,” Doug said. “I’ve actually had seven things taken out of me because of the cancer.”

Eventually, doctors had to remove both of his kidneys. The 67-year-old has been on dialysis for the last 5-years waiting for a transplant.

He never expected that his donor would be someone he’s known for years.

“He got up at church one day and said that he was able to get put on the donor list,” Lisa Fear said. “And then my husband like later on was like, aren’t you the same blood type as him? And I was like yeah… I am.”

Doug’s blood type is O-positive, and he can only accept a transplant from someone who is also O-positive. Lisa was the only one in their church with the same blood type. She volunteered to help him without hesitation.

“I was really happy and excited, and then at the same time… nervous and scared because we have four kids and you just go through all the, ‘oh my goodness what if something happens to me?’” Lisa said.

The story of a living kidney donation is playing out on screen in a new show on CBS. B Positive follows the experiences of a man who needs a kidney transplant when a woman from his past steps up.

Doug says he had not heard of the show until he started this process.

“From what my son says, it’s pretty accurate on what I’m going through,” Doug said.

The show is based around the true story of the show’s creator who needed his own kidney transplant in 2013.

A medical social worker with Fresenius Kidney Care where Doug goes for dialysis tells us there are always people in need of a transplant. Health workers hope that shows like these will encourage more people to sign up.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how Doug and Lisa are preparing for their procedures. Both are constantly isolating to avoid getting sick and having to delay or cancel the donation. But both of them say all the precautions they’re taking are worth it.

“I mean, how somebody can give part of their body to help someone else live is a phenomenal person,” Doug said.

“I’d been raised to where you help people out… like you just always help people,” Lisa said.

Doug and Lisa are tentatively planning on undergoing their procedures in late February or early March. If you’d like information on how to become a living donor, visit the UNOS website.

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