Calgary man’s creative call for a life-saving kidney answered

Calgary man Dave Mathers received a kidney transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic, a life-saving procedure thanks to an eye-catching call for help answered by one woman.

“Both my wife and daughter had applied to become kidney donors prior because unfortunately we knew failure was going to happen but they were both denied for different reasons,” Mathers said.

Mathers was diagnosed with kidney disease 15 years ago. One-quarter of people diagnosed experience kidney failure. In 2018, he was told he was part of that small group, and in 2019, he wound up in the hospital with his kidneys failing.

WATCH: CityNews’ Taylor Braat reports on how a creative call for a life-saving kidney donation was answered in Calgary

“I didn’t realize how short my outlook on life had become because really it’s hard to look too far ahead,” Mathers said.

The Mathers family knew finding a donor who matched Dave would be extremely difficult, so they decided to get creative and put their hopes on a billboard.

“We put several of them up in the hope that we could just find some angel out there who would be willing to give a kidney to a stranger, and sure enough, Nancy came through,” Mathers said. “In our minds, she’s the greatest person on earth, someone who could do that for a complete stranger.”

Nancy Langlois ended up being a match, but a surgery scheduled for September of 2021 was cancelled due to the pressures that the pandemic put on the healthcare system. Finally, in November, the donation was complete.

“When I saw his ad or billboard, and he mentioned the blood type which happened to be mine, that’s when I decided to call,” Langlois said. “I’m really happy it went to him, he’s a great guy.”

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Mathers says there was hesitance up until the moment before he received his new kidney because he knows people can change minds and unlikely situations can occur.

“Situations like mine are really probably one in a million, but you know it does happen,” Mathers said.

It’s happening more often as well. Alberta Health Services says there were a record number of organ transplants in 2021 at 105 — compared to 97 in 2020, and 80 in 201. Langlois says she traded a kidney for a new outlook on life.

“I also learned that sometimes it might seem like you’re giving a lot of yourself, but in the end, you get a lot back,” Langlois said.

“If it ever does work and you feel it in yourself,” Mathers said. “I don’t think you will ever regret it and obviously, it changes the life of someone waiting for it.”