A local man saw our story, was touched and donated his kidney. - East Idaho News
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A local man saw our story, was touched and donated his kidney.

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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man who advertised his need for a kidney on the back of his truck window is now recovering from a kidney transplant thanks to a kindhearted local man.

Scott Brown received a call from Justin Busby, of Idaho Falls, 20 minutes after EastIdahoNews.com ran a story in March 2022 about Brown needing a kidney transplant. Busby — who was the first person out of about 20 people to contact Brown — asked what he needed to do to see if he was a good match.

“I saw (the story), and it … touched my heart,” Busby said. “I told him I’d check into it and see what I could do.”

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The two of them stayed in touch throughout the whole process. Busby flew to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in September for testing, and in October, the Mayo Clinic approved the transplant. On Dec. 8, Brown and Busby met for the first time in person at the Mayo Clinic.

“At 6 a.m. the day before the operation, (Busby) approached me outside the blood lab and said, ‘Are you Scott Brown?’ and I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘I’m Justin Busby. I’m your donor,'” Brown recalls. “It was a high-powered spiritual event.”

Leading up to the transplant, Brown was told there might be times when he wouldn’t “feel worthy of the transplant.” He had those feelings of unworthiness when he saw people on dialysis who he thought were sicker than him.

He called Busby one day and told him he didn’t feel worthy of receiving his kidney. Busby let him know he didn’t need to feel that way, and he was not only doing this transplant for Brown but for himself.

“The previous five years for myself was one of those things where you go to church, you do the right thing, and the wrong thing kept happening,” Busby, who moved from Illinois to Idaho in October 2021, explained. “All the time, you kept your faith in God and try to find a purpose in those closed doors and that immense headwind. … (Scott needing a donor) was kind of one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments. I was put here in this place at this time to help Scott.”

Brown said the doctors at the Mayo Clinic feel positive about the transplant. He was told Busby’s kidney started working when the doctor was stitching it into place — something the doctor said he’d never seen before.

“I believe God provided this whole avenue,” Brown said. “It was divinely inspired.”

Scott Brown at the Mayo Clinic
Scott Brown at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. | Courtesy Scott Brown

Since the transplant, the two of them have gotten together for breakfast and plan to go fishing together in the near future. They consider each other brothers and are grateful for what this experience taught them.

“It brought us to believe in God first, prayer and then miracles,” Busby said. “There are certain things that happen in this world that direct us, whether we like it or not. We know that God is looking over you even when sometimes it feels like he’s not.”

Brown wants to thank everybody who helped him on this journey, especially those who called and offered him one of their kidneys. He hopes his story serves as a reminder to other people in need of a transplant to keep going.

“Don’t give up hope and learn to be your own advocate,” Brown said. “Advertise that you’re looking for someone to donate. The more people that know you’re looking, the better. … Hang in there. Keep looking for a donor.”

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