South Carolina mom donates kidney to stranger in need

WEST ASHLEY, SC (WCIV) — A South Carolina man in search of a new kidney finally met his match this week. Turns out, a complete stranger went under the knife to save his life.

The kidney transplant on Wednesday was successful. Finding a match wasn’t easy but the two connected after a chance encounter in a parking lot. About six months ago, Starr Gardy, 40, made a routine stop at Walmart and parked next to a car with a message handwritten on the back window—a heartfelt plea for a new kidney. The car belonged to Lashonda Pugh, who’s worked at the West Ashley Walmart for 14 years. Pugh said she was desperate to help her son, 24-year-old Daniel Jones, who was undergoing years of rigorous kidney dialysis.

“God came to me and was like you have to put the message out there,” said Pugh. “I don’t think, if I didn’t put that message on my vehicle, my son’s angel would not be here today giving him a kidney.”

Gardy said it stopped her in her tracks and from then on, she couldn’t stop thinking about it and felt compelled to help. She said it was the work of a higher power.