He searched 25 years for a kidney match —until a churchgoer who wasn’t a match donated hers and ended his wait in a Christmas miracle
There are moments in life when hope completely fades, but it comes back in the most unexpected ways that feel nothing less than a miracle. The same happened with Scott Lee, who lost almost 25 years of his life waiting for a donor, fighting life. Lee, who is from Fountain, Colorado, spent more than two decades fighting for his life due to severe complications in his kidneys. But come Christmas time, a miracle happened for which he had waited for almost all his life. Lee lived with severe kidney complications for more than two decades, surviving rare illnesses, failed transplants, and long stretches of dialysis, according to 9News.
"Finally, this third time... It's going to be a charm. It's going to work, man," Lee said, two days before Christmas, sitting on a hospital bed, as per the outlet. Lee, instead of celebrating the Christmas holiday at home, went to AdventHealth Porter, where he got one of the "greatest gifts - hope." He added, "I came here for my Christmas miracle kidney - that's what we're calling it," reported the media outlet. His journey began in 2005, after he was diagnosed with Goodpasture Syndrome - a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys and lungs. It is 95% fatal; however, a doctor's quick diagnosis saved him, but his kidneys did not recover fully. In 2020, he went for his first transplant, but it failed and ended in a disaster. The kidney, which he received first, was covered in a dangerous mould, Aspergillus, due to which the surgeons had to remove it after a month.
In 2021, Lee fell sick again. He was struggling to even walk and had to rely on daily dialysis. Later, doctors found that the fungus had spread to the stent in his artery, which required more surgery. The higher number of surgeries threatened circulation in his legs. Lee's vascular surgeon, Dr. Omid Jazaeri, said, "If he developed any wounds, they wouldn't heal. We were worried about amputation," reported the outlet.
Lee, talking about the infection after the first transplant, shared, "It was covered with mold and fungus. It was disgusting." Lee was very close to death when he received the donation, as per the CBS KKTV 11 News. "I was down to my last couple of hours; they had already brought a chaplain in on the phone, " Lee shared, while talking to the outlet. He had also gone into a coma a month earlier. He shared he had lost the front half of his foot, then it went to his hip, and he lost his hip, too.
But just before Christmas this year, a miracle happened. A woman from his church congregation offered to donate her kidney, without knowing anything about him personally, but she found the "meaning of life" in this act. Lee, talking about her act of kindness, shared, "She just said, 'That's my meaning in life. I'm going to donate my kidney to Scoot." "She did not even know me," Lee added. However, the story does not end here; she wasn't a match. But even without being a match, this changed everything for Lee, as this donation placed Lee higher on the transplant list. And then, right before Christmas, the call came. Lee underwent a second kidney transplant.
His health is already improving. His family said they are now finally able to find the meaning in the holidays again. Lee said, "How do you thank someone for the gift of life?" His wife, Jenny, said, "Every day is positive for him now. He counts his blessings. We truly got our Christmas miracle."