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Mom gets a second chance at life, thanks to Holland man

Posted at 8:34 PM, May 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-13 22:30:35-04

HOLLAND, Mich.-- After seeing a plea for help on Facebook, it didn't take much for Jason Hall to step up and help Jodie Harger, a mother of three whom he had never met before, by giving her one of his kidneys.

FOX 17 first brought you their story in November 2017 when Jason learned he was an eligible match.

Jodie and her family had to move to Florida for specialized treatment. It's been a long difficult road for the Hall and Harger families who have been waiting to see if the kidney transplant would work or not. Through it all, Jason says he never looked back.

“If somebody needs help and you can help them, then you help them. That’s what life is," Jason tells FOX 17.

This Mother's Day, Jodie and her family are celebrating her second chance at life. The transplant will take place on May 21 in Louisiana. Jodie says she couldn't be more grateful.

“That takes such a selfless human to do that for somebody," Jodie tells FOX 17. "To just say out of the blue ‘I want to save this girl’s life.’”

But it wasn't that simple, Jason had to make sure he was fit and able to be a donor. He says he completely changed his diet, lost weight and lowered his blood pressure. Small things, he says, compared to what Jodie and her husband have gone through.

“The way that they handled this whole situation, her dialysis, her doctor’s appointments, the constant threats," Jason says. "I’m like, anything I do is nothing. These two, they are the ones who, I mean they’re living it every day.”

When the two finally met for the first time in January, Jodie says it was surreal.

“I just grabbed him and he kept saying ‘This is real. I’m here,'" Jodie says. “It’s so hard to put into words how grateful we are.”

Jason's wife Carmen says she's thrilled that Jodie's sons will have their mom for years to come.

“I don’t want them to ever know what it feels like to grow up without a parent," Carmen says.

Jodie still needs help covering their medical bills. To help with the costs, click here.

Jason says his doctor is supportive of his decision to become a donor and that it likely won't affect his overall health. He says if he does encounter health problems in the future and needs a kidney donation himself, he will be at the top of the recipient list.