'Our kids have their dad back': Woman donates kidney to save her friend's life

Darcy Barry didn't know what to do when he learned his kidney was failing him.

About four years ago the Morell, P.E.I., man was told by doctors that he had "excess protein" in his kidney. His condition quickly grew worse. and soon he started kidney dialysis.

"I didn't have any symptoms … I felt good," he said, pausing for a moment.

"I thought I felt good, but the longer you're on dialysis the sicker you get."

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At 4:30 a.m. three times a week for several years, Darcy would be up and in his vehicle heading to Charlottetown for dialysis treatment. Because of the treatment, over time his body became sluggish and tired, and hope started to fade.

"Honestly I didn't know what was going to happen because there's only two options in dialysis: get a kidney, or, unfortunately, pass away," he told CBC's Island Morning.

It's so hard to describe, when someone does something like that. It's very selfless. It's incredible— Lori Barry

"It's a whole family thing," his wife, Lori, added. 

"It was hard on his brothers and sisters, his mom, us, our children, our whole world revolved around dialysis … He never had any energy."

Darcy couldn't even do the small things anymore. Going out for supper was a chore, Lori said, and it even got to the point where Darcy didn't have the energy to play ball with his son in the backyard.

'I'm going to donate my kidney'

When hope for Darcy and his family started to wane they didn't go looking for help, help came looking for them.

Phyllis Weeks, a long-time friend of Lori's, had always chatted with the family about Darcy's diabetes and she even began donating blood when her own husband got sick. With blood donations comes a donor card, and one day when she peeked at her card she thought she may have the same blood type as Darcy.

And when she learned that the two did in fact have the same blood type, her mind was made up on the spot.

"Oh my God, I got my donor card and I'm O-positive. I'm going to donate my kidney!" she said. "It was like a light bulb came on."

Lori recalls telling Phyllis that there was no way the family could ask her to donate her kidney.

"And [Phyllis] said you're not asking me, I'm telling you I'm doing it," Lori said.

In March 2018, after a year of tests Phyllis and Darcy were approved for the transplant. And when Phyllis broke the news to the family that they were all set for surgery, Darcy said he began "crying like a baby."

'I get to play with my kids again'

The two went in for surgery in April and are now in great health.

"It's so hard to describe, when someone does something like that. It's very selfless. It's incredible," Lori said.

"Our lives aren't revolving around dialysis anymore. Our kids have their dad back. That's what I said to her. She gave me back Darcy."

Darcy said his health is now like "someone flipped a switch," he has energy now and he's living life once again.

"I get to play with my kids again," he said.

And when Phyllis first saw the picture of Darcy and his son playing ball, she was brought to tears. 

"When Darcy sent me that picture of him and Stu playing ball, I knew I'd made the right choice," she said.

"Our whole family we cried when we saw the picture."​

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