Kentucky man gets rare match kidney transplant just in time for Christmas

VILLA HILLS, Ky. (CNN NEWSOURCE) — A Kentucky man battling kidney failure will get a life-saving gift just in time for Christmas.

He just learned that a donor match had been found and he has a member of the famous band Foreigner to thank.

Don’t let the Keurig fool you, gourmet cookware is Byron Wolfe’s bread and butter — and likely what helped save his life.

Today marks his 88th time receiving dialysis since May, and one of his last.

“It scared me at the time. It scares me now. If you don’t follow this regimen, you’re not gonna live,” Byron said.

Wolfe was prepared for this to be his life for at least a couple more years, especially because finding his match is extremely rare.

“I’m O positive. Now, O can donate to just about anybody but no one can donate to O but O positive. They told me it’s hundreds of thousands,” he said.

In a series of life-changing moments this week, Wolfe got the call you might say is a miracle.

“This gift that I’ve been given is just remarkable.”

Five days before Christmas, Wolfe will get his new kidney.

“After that, my life will begin again,” Byron said.

And he credits this Instagram post by a long-time friend, bonded by gourmet cookware, who happens to be the lead singer in the world-famous band Foreigner for playing a big hand.

“According to the hospital they had tons of people call.”

While Foreigner fans around the world saw the post, ultimately it was a man from Indiana who Wolfe met briefly just once before who saw the post on Facebook and stepped in.

“Candidly, I didn’t even know his name.”

“He and his wife showed up at our door on a Sunday morning and said we’re your donor! Which means I don’t have to wait for a cadaver, which means I jump to the head of the line, which means this guy will be my brother forever,” Byron said.

He says as long as everything goes right, he will be out of the hospital by Christmas Eve.

He’s excited to start traveling again on vacation and for work and hopes sharing his story will inspire more people to consider organ donation.