Lexington father to receive kidney from his daughter

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — According to Donate Life, 86% of patients waiting on the national organ transplant list are in need of a kidney.

For one family in Lexington, that need has become personal. At the end of this month, a father will be receiving a kidney from his daughter.

At first, Jim Crouch didn’t want his daughters to get tested.

“I’m supposed to be the protector,” he said, recalling the moment they offered to donate one of their kidneys.

Crouch had recently learned he wouldn’t survive the four-to-five-year wait for a deceased donor kidney. That’s when his family stepped in.

“Oh, I don’t know if I want you all to,” Jim told them.

“We’re adults now, Dad,” his daughters reminded him.

His wife got tested. His oldest daughter got tested. So did his youngest.

“Believe it or not, my oldest daughter was the better match,” Jim said.

This will be Jim’s second kidney transplant. He first received one more than 30 years ago. But after new health issues, his doctors realized he would need another.

This time, his daughter Megan was the most viable option. Their surgery is scheduled for September 30.

Megan, a fourth-grade teacher at Cardinal Valley, will take a few weeks off after the surgery.

“It finally set in, and I maybe cried for like 10 minutes,” she said. “Then I thought, okay, it’ll be fine. They do these all the time. We’re just lucky he doesn’t have to be on dialysis this time.”

She and her sister grew up knowing the importance of organ donation. After Jim’s first transplant, he made sure his family stayed active in raising awareness.

“It’s just part of our family,” Megan said. “We obviously wouldn’t be a family without the first kidney.”

For Megan, this act is about more than saving her dad’s life.

“This wasn’t his choice,” she said. “But he needs to realize what a great community he’s built—he’s the best co-worker, the best husband, the best dad, the best brother, the best uncle, the best friend, the best neighbor. With that comes good karma.

“I feel very lucky and blessed that I get to give him this gift. And the gift he gives back to me is him being in my life. That is the best gift I could ever have—having a dad like him.”

To which Jim responds, “thanks. I love you too. But it’s still hard to fathom.”