Vincent Thanks You For Coming
Hoy por ti, mañana por mi
Save a Cop.
(He's My Dad)
Living Kidney Donor Needed
Please Save My Husband
Please Save My Dad
Please Save My Son
Please Save My Brother
Testimonial
"Vincent has spent his entire life showing up for others—whether in uniform or quietly helping someone in need. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t wait to be asked—he acts. Today, he needs someone to show up for him."
Donors' toughest questions and fact-based answers
What are the real risks of donating a kidney? Will this shorten my life?
Any surgery carries risk. Here are real numbers from recent medical research, comparisons to other common procedures and the reasons why.
The mortality rate for kidney donation is 9 in 100,000 per the latest research (2022), down from 30 in 100,000 (2009). Transplant surgery is about as safe as a tonsillectomy (30 in 100,000 for adults) or appendectomy (10-50 in 100,000), and much safer than elective surgeries in a hospital (300 in 100,000). Why? Better surgical techniques, selection screening and medicines.
The medical standard used by kidney transplant hospitals for donors is called "Net-Zero Harm." That means a donor only gets approved for donation if your predicted risk of developing kidney failure in the future is no higher than a health person who never donated. How does a transplant hospital do that? Extensive evaluation - metabolic, imaging, cancer screening, cardiovascular and genetic testing. So, only the healthiest people get approved. That's why Johns Hopkins research shows that living kidney donors live as long as "health non-donors." It's not because kidney transplant makes them healthier. It's because of "selection bias" or the "Healthy Donor Effect" - that's how careful and comprehensive the evaluation process is.
But I was born with two kidneys. How can I survive with only one?
That's true, but our kidneys are the ONLY organ in the human body with a built-in spare. After donation, your remaining kidney grows up to 20% and takes over the job of two. In fact, about 1 in 750 people are born with one kidney and lead perfectly normal lives.
OK, let's say I donate, but something happens to my remaining kidney. Am I just stuck?
Not at all. As a precaution, when you go through evaluation, ask your transplant coordinator about working with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Exchange. These organizations provides prioritization for a new living kidney - it's like going to the "front of the line" - if something happens to your kidney. The median waiting time for a new living kidney with the National Kidney Registry is 1.8 months.
But the risk of something happening to the remaining kidney of a donor is not common. It is significantly lower than an average non-donor in the general population per the National Institutes of Health.
I'm not rich. Even if I'm cleared for donation, I can't afford "time off" from work, medical costs and out-of-pocket expenses. Can anyone help with these costs?
First, your medical expenses are covered by the patient's insurance. Second, the financial impact of your donation is designed to be "cost neutral." That means you are reimbursed for lost wages and a range of out-of-pocket costs through your transplant hospital's partnership with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Exchange. A transplant hospital coordinator will provide you with full details.
A Letter From Vincent
My name is Vincent. Yes, I'm a cop, but more importantly, I'm a husband and father.
I love my family with everything in me. I married my high school sweetheart, and that love has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. Together we built a life centered on faith, loyalty, family, and standing by each other through every season. I am the proud father of two sons and looking forward to becoming a grandfather. That next chapter means the world to me. The people I love are my greatest joy.
I spent 34 years serving as a police officer. Service was never just a job to me. It was a way of life. I believed in protecting people, helping where I could, and being someone others could count on when life got hard. Like many of you, I'm a quiet person, but always tried to live with courage and purpose.
But the truth is, the badge is only one part of who I am.
I am the man who loves family gatherings, quiet moments with the people closest to me, laughter, shared memories, and the simple gift of being together. I am someone who believes that love is shown in how you show up for people, day after day, year after year. I have tried to live my life that way.
What makes a life worth saving is not status or titles. It is love. It is devotion. It is the good you try to put into the world. It is the people whose lives are forever tied to yours.
Only you can decide if I'm worthy of being saved. But this I can tell you: I am loved, I am needed. I still have more life to live, more memories to make, more wisdom to pass down, and more love to give. I want more time with my wife. I want more time with my sons. I want to hold my grandchild and be fully present for the moments that matter most.
I spent my life showing up for others. I would be deeply grateful for the chance to keep showing up for the people I love.
Watch why donation really matters
Anyone Can Be A Living Kidney Donor
Testimonial
"For over 30 years, Vincent served his community with honor. He is a devoted husband and father, and the person who brings people together—often cooking for dozens at a time and expecting nothing in return." - Family Friend
Testimonial
"Vincent is the one who brings people together. Whether cooking for neighborhood events or delivering meals during the holidays, he has spent years making sure others were taken care of." - Family Friend
Donor Safety Facts: Important Financial Protections
Kidney Replacement Guarantee
Though extremely rare, if anything happens to your kidney after donation, you go to the front of the line for a new living donor kidney!
What About Medical Costs and Insurance?
Your medical costs are covered 100% by Vincent's insurance.
How Safe is Donating a Kidney?
- About the same as Tonsillectomy
- 10-30x Safer than an an Appendectomy
Things are Tight Financially for me. I'm not sure I can afford to take time off.
You are compensated for lost wages and out of pocket expenses (travel, meals and lodging). Northwestern's intent is your donation is cost-neutral.
I'm Afraid Donating a Kidney Could Shorten My Life!
First, screening tests are extensive, so if Northwestern finds a risk now - or in your future - you won't be allowed to donate. Second, donors that make it through testing live longer than the general population - 29% longer in one study - due to "selection bias"! In other words, only the healthiest candidates make it through testing. See research from the National Kidney Registry - Click here!
Have You Ever Watched a MIRACLE Happen Before? SEE The Joy Between a Teacher, Mom and Daughter.
Testimonial
"His kindness isn’t loud—it’s steady, dependable, and real. If you needed help, Vincent was already there before you asked." - Long-time Friend
Testimonial
"After a lifetime of giving, Vincent is now facing a moment where he must ask for help. A kidney transplant would give him the chance to continue being the man so many people depend on." - Friend of the Family
Useful Facts
As of April, 2026, about 103,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant. Source: OrganDonor.gov
Average wait time for a deceased-donor kidney is 3–5 years or more depending on blood type and location. Source: Kidney.org
Kidneys from living donors typically last longer and work better than kidneys from deceased donors. Source: Kidney.org
