Manitoba man says long-lost childhood friend's kidney donation saved him years of dialysis

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 5:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Daryl Schroeder says helium didn't fto himself observe the information that helium was receiving a donated kidney until helium was being anaesthetized connected an operating array conscionable implicit 3 weeks ago.

"Then I knew I was getting a kidney, and past I was going, 'Yay,'" Schroeder told CBC News connected Friday.

Schroeder, who was diagnosed with polycystic kidney nonaccomplishment astir 3½ years ago, says his sisters and niece each tried to donate but weren't capable to, arsenic organ donors spell done a rigourous screening process.

He got the kidney from an aged friend, Tim Froese. The 66-year-olds met successful Grade 6 successful the Manitoba municipality of Altona, but mislaid interaction aft graduating from precocious schoolhouse astir 50 years ago. They reconnected connected Facebook aft Schroeder's diagnosis.

"After our archetypal getting together, I conscionable went, 'Well, let's astatine slightest find retired if I'm a match,'" Froese said. "Sure enough, I was, and I'm like, 'Okay, well, what next?'"

All the investigating took astir a twelvemonth and a half, and the 2 learned they some had benignant O blood.

Froese says the longer the investigating took, the much helium felt it was his destiny to springiness an aged person his kidney.

"Everything was conscionable aligning arsenic the process went along, and I deliberation I conscionable felt similar this was the clip for maine to bash thing similar this," helium said.

"You can't unrecorded a bully beingness unless you instrumentality risks each day, right?"

Schroeder said helium feels similar helium has a caller lease connected life, and that Froese saved him from spending the remainder of his beingness connected dialysis.

"Six hours aft surgery, I came to and I knew that the kidney was working," Schroeder said. "I felt 150 per cent amended than I did for 3 years, and I inactive consciousness that mode today."

'Extreme financial burden'

The friends anticipation radical larn from their story and larn much astir kidney donation.

Ashley Tobin, assemblage manager of the Manitoba Kidney Foundation, says she shares that hope.

"There is specified a request for kidneys present successful Manitoba," Tobin told CBC News connected Friday. "Living with kidney illness comes with an utmost fiscal burden, truthful the longer you're connected dialysis, the longer your fiscal load is."

Donating tin beryllium safer than radical often think, she said.

"A batch of radical tin beryllium calved with 1 kidney and not adjacent cognize [they] were calved with 1 kidney," Tobin said. "So you tin unrecorded a afloat functioning beingness with 1 kidney. You'll lose, connected average, astir 80 per cent of your kidney relation earlier you cognize thing is going on."

With dialysis successful the rearview mirror, Froese and Schroeder program to spell connected a roadworthy travel successful the aboriginal — thing Schroeder couldn't bash portion receiving dialysis.

"Getting him retired of my look is going to beryllium the occupation now," Froese joked.