CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA (WTAE/CNN) – A man in need of a kidney transplant received a bittersweet phone call Saturday that his childhood friend had died and his family wanted to donate his kidney.
Andrew Dietz, 27, had been on the transplant wait list since May 2017 when he was suddenly told to rush to the hospital.
The young man called his father, Rod Dietz, who gave him both good and bad news: Andrew would receive a kidney, but it was that of his childhood friend, whose family had just pulled the plug.
"This is a friend you knew for 19, 20 years, and to find out that he's dead and he's gone is overwhelming enough. Then to find out you're going to get his kidney and you're on the way to do that right now is just a little more to absorb,” Rod Dietz said.
Andrew and 28-year-old Ryan Minett grew up next door to each other. They had been friends since Andrew was 9.
On Friday, Ryan was dragged about a half-mile by a car police say was driven by his girlfriend. His injuries were serious, and by Saturday, it became clear he wasn’t going to make it.
Ryan’s father, Eric Minett, knew Andrew was on the waiting list for a kidney and wanted to donate his son’s organ to his longtime friend.
While still processing Ryan’s death, Andrew rushed to the hospital and received the kidney.
The transplant appeared successful, and Andrew continues to recover, as he also mourns his best friend, who saved his life.
“It just goes to show you that Ryan was determined to help Drew out. This was a gift. This was a miracle. This doesn't happen. You can't write this script. You know, your best friend – you lose him in an accident, and his kidney is a match for you. It's just so surreal. It's overwhelming, but yet, it's touching,” Rod Dietz said.
Andrew Dietz was diagnosed with a condition at age 5 that doctors hoped he would outgrow, but by 2017, his body was not functioning properly. He had hoped to receive a kidney from his sister, but after testing, she wasn’t able to serve as a donor.
Copyright 2018 WTAE, Family photos via CNN. All rights reserved.
