MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (WCIV) — There are more than 1,000 people in South Carolina waiting for a kidney. But because of selflessness, a man in Mount Pleasant won't be joining that statistic, after discovering that his own cousin was a match.
"She just put time on my clock. I can't beat that, I can't beat it," said Myron Rivers.
Time was almost cut short for Rivers, who has been having kidney problems since 2008. The problem continued to get worse over the years.
"Two years ago, it finally got to a point where I had to be on dialysis. I was on dialysis for a year and a half and I went through that whole process, and dealing [within] being on a machine 10 hours a day - and that part got a little frustrating," said Rivers.
Frustration turned into gratitude in due time. After being on the kidney donor list for a year, a call came in from his own family.
"Then, my little cousin Natasha went and got tested on her own, did everything and I didn't even know she was doing it. [She] went and called me and said, 'Myron, we're compatible, and I'm going to donate a kidney to you," said Rivers.
Natasha Weston and her mom went and got tested on their own to see if either of them were a match for Rivers. After a few tests, Natasha ended up being the missing piece for her cousin.
"My prayer from that point forward was, 'If I'm supposed to be the person to donate the kidney to him, then let everything check out. Let all of the boxes check out.' And literally every stage since that day, everything checked out," said Weston.
Weston says there were many questions along the way wondering if this would affect her own health and future, but in the end, the love of family became her only answer.
"I just couldn't imagine needing an organ and not having to ask my family. So, I'm just in the mind to do it. That's what fighting together means to me, it's taking on each other's burdens and seeing what we can do as a team to help each other," said Weston.
"I don't think I could ever thank her enough because I don't think that many people would've done it, and she just volunteered to do it," said Rivers.
Now officially kidney cousins, Weston and Rivers are encouraging more people to do what they can in order to save a life.
"Donating a kidney, or donating any of your organs is detrimental for life going on for someone else. If you're not here and your parts are still good, why not donate them? To give someone else life," said Rivers.
Weston says before becoming an organ donor, educate yourself, do your research, and talk with your friends and family.
