'Angel Hero' Who Donated Kidney to Total Stranger Says It 'Was No Big Deal'

By Sarah Carri April 1, 2019 at 11:28am

Helping someone is need is something most everyone likes to do. A few dollars here, a meal there. Every little bit helps.

But 30-year-old Mitchell Salas of Woods Cross, Utah, needed more than a little help. He’s struggled with kidney issues his entire life and desperately needed a new organ.

Between dialysis and failed transplants and a heartbreaking diagnosis of testicular cancer, it looked like Salas might never get a chance at a better quality of life.

“I didn’t have anybody and was kind of like, ‘Man, I don’t know what to do,'” Salas told KSL. When all hope seemed lost, that’s when a miracle happened.

Have you ever considered donating an organ?

We often hear of family members and close friends wanting to donate organs to loved ones, but a total stranger? That seems less likely.

For a 32-year-old dad-of-three Matthew Thompson, giving an organ to someone in need was one thing he’d always wanted to do.

“Knowing I can help someone is good enough for me,” Thompson told KTVX. “There’s no different from this, in me, giving anyone a kidney as to go to your neighbor’s house and unload the groceries. They need help. Why not help?”

And help he did. While Thompson doesn’t see himself as a hero, Salas feels otherwise. “Not all heroes wear capes,” the transplant recipient told ABC.

“This guy has literally saved my life,” he continued. “I appreciate it so much. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

But Thompson doesn’t want payment. He’s just a good Samaritan with a big heart who says it was “no big deal.” “The pain is nothing compared to knowing I helped someone,” he said.

“Why would I be selfish and keep it when someone else needs it that bad?” he said Friday. https://t.co/jgD2LNUb89

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) March 31, 2019

“Why would I be selfish and keep it when someone else needs it that bad?” Thompson told KSL. We love his outlook. What a cool guy with a great big heart!

So many people need donors who can make their hope a reality. For more information on organ donation, visit OrganDonor.gov.

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Tags:

Acts of kindness, Cancer, Family, Good Samaritan, Hero, Miracle

Sarah Carri

Contributor, Lifestyle

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.

Education

Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)

Location

Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Entertainment, Faith