The 7-year-old son of a Lexington firefighter is recovering from a kidney transplant made possible by another member of the fire department who donated his kidney.
John Scott Sexton, whose dad is fire department Lt. Joe Sexton, received a kidney donated by firefighter Tim Belcher, the Lexington Fire Department announced in a Facebook post.
“The Lexington Fire Department is a family,” the department said in the post. “We celebrate each other during our happiest moments and lean on each other during the most challenging times. FF Belcher selflessly gave a part of himself to help John have a chance to live a normal life and be a kid again.”
The fire department said the surgery, performed at a Cincinnati hospital Tuesday, was successful, and both donor and recipient were recovering there Thursday.
John Scott’s mom, Katie Sexton, said in a June 2021 interview that John Scott, then 5, was a healthy, energetic little boy until he developed an infection from the O157 strain of E. coli. None of the rest of the family got sick, and the family didn’t know how John Scott became infected, but as a result of the illness, he suffered kidney damage from hemolytic uremic syndrome.
“We went from a perfectly healthy child to a kid that has end stage renal disease,” Katie Sexton said at the time. “There is no cure for renal disease.”
She said he had also developed other medical complications, including high blood pressure and anemia, because of the kidney disease.
“Our lives changed in an instant,” Katie Sexton said.
John Scott was ultimately placed on the organ donor registry, and the fire department said “his family began the agonizing task of actively searching for a living donor and getting tested themselves.”
But it was through their “extended family” at the fire department that a match was found.
“On his own, and without telling Lt. Sexton, FF Belcher got tested as a potential donor for John and was discovered to be a match,” the fire department said. “Since the donor testing process is completely anonymous, the Sextons had no idea the match for their son was another Lexington firefighter.”
When the family learned of the connection, Joe Sexton wrote in an email to the department that he was “speechless, humbled, and forever thankful for the selfless act that Tim is willing to do for my son,” the fire department shared. “I have no words to express my gratitude to Tim and his family.”
Belcher told WKYT that “it was a no brainer. I felt like it’s something we all would do or should do.”
John Scott will remain in the hospital for a few weeks, and Belcher will be off work for six to eight weeks recovering, the television station reported.
The fire department said the Cincinnati Fire Department had also stepped in to provide support for both families.
“Since the surgery took place out of town, members of the Cincinnati Fire Department, Station 19, have provided meals and checked in on both families throughout this week,” the fire department said. “The Lexington Fire Department is our family, but we are reminded that family extends beyond our own department by the thoughtfulness and care shown by the Cincinnati Fire Department. This is not the first time they have taken care of one of ours, and we are humbled and grateful for their support.”
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