An Indiana police officer decided to donate his kidney to a complete stranger after talking with him at Cracker Barrel.
Lt. John Branson with the Anderson Police Department started up a random conversation with Vietnam veteran Edgar Roberts last summer, reports Fox 59.
“I walked through a Cracker Barrel and I’d seen a gentleman sitting by himself, who had a Vietnam marine hat on,” Branson told Fox 59. Branson sat down with Roberts and the two ate together.
During the meal, Branson ended up talking about Robert’s need for a new kidney. Robert had been on dialysis for five years because he lost both his kidneys to cancer.
Branson, apparently touched by Robert’s story, decided to see if he would be a match for Roberts.
“John and Edgar promised to keep in touch and John promised to check to see if he could be a match for Edgar. Two weeks ago John sent his blood work to Mayo Clinic to see if the two were a match….100% match!” the GoFundMe page said.
Roberts expressed gratitude for the sacrifice Branson will make for him.
“I just think God is just awesome,” said Roberts. “I just think about what kind of person (Branson) is, what kind of man he is that would give me a kidney. He has to be a man of God.”
The two set up a GoFundMe page that asks for $5,000 to help pay for travel, accommodations and food for the surgery. Branson plans to travel to Florida in May to get his kidney removed.
“If you can make an impact, a difference this huge in someone’s life, you should be able to do that without fail- without question,” Branson said of his decision.
Sassy Liberty