A journey of faith guided by her Heavenly Father spurred an area woman to step out in recent months to offer the gift of life through organ donation to a man she previously had never met, but who happens to live just two miles from her home in Urbana.
West Liberty First Church of God member and praise team singer Wendy Hepp said the events that transpired around her donation of a kidney in April to recipient Henry Saylor all began in November, after she got to know Saylor’s family member, Jess Williams, at a women’s conference.
She said several days after the conference, Williams shared a Facebook post with detailed information on Saylor’s need for a kidney donor that caught Hepp’s attention, including that the donor should have type A negative blood and a phone number to call at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. Williams said Saylor was her stepmother’s father, so he was like a grandfather to her.
“When I saw the post, I immediately thought about the fact that I have A negative blood, and figured I should pray about it,” said Hepp, a mother of two daughters, ages 17 and 18, and a son, age 11. “However, I heard a voice telling me, ‘You should pray after you call,’ so that’s what I did.”
After inquiring about the kidney donation process with the hospital, Hepp said she received a packet of information in the mail, requiring her to fill out her health history and other family history prior to a screening.
While in the process of completing the forms, she said she sat down to pray and opened her Bible to James 2.
She said the words in verses 14-17 spoke to her, relating how it is essential to offer practical help to people in need: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
“After reading that, I was certain about what I needed to do,” said the Champaign County Board of Developmental Disabilities case worker, who also has previously served as a teacher, including at Riverside Schools.
“Then I thought, ‘How am I going to tell my husband about this?’”
Hepp said her husband, Jeff, with whom she will celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary July 1, fortunately was supportive of this idea of her donating a kidney, so she forged ahead and submitted her paperwork.
She was informed that she needed to complete a blood draw for various tests prior to appointments at the hospital, and for some reason, she said that same voice was telling her she should cancel a previous lab appointment and schedule the appointment specifically for Dec. 23.
When she went in for the Dec. 23 blood draw, she discovered the reason why she was led to choose this day.
“I was feeling really anxious about this whole donation process and knowing what I was doing, but that day, my technician at the lab just happened to be a woman who also had donated a kidney to someone,” she said. “It was so wonderful to talk to her about what she experienced and ask her all kinds of questions. It really alleviated many of my fears.”
March 1, coincidentally on her 42nd birthday, Hepp underwent her final donor testing at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. About two weeks later, she learned she was a good match for Saylor, who had been on the kidney transplant waiting list for some time.
Before the procedure, he required daily dialysis treatments at his home that took about eight hours a day, a time-consuming process for he and his wife, causing them to miss out on many other activities.
Two weeks before the transplant surgery, Hepp said it also was a joyous occasion when Saylor was baptized at her church and was accompanied by his family. Then the morning of the procedure April 27, the donor and recipient just happened to bump into each other beforehand in the hospital hallways, a meaningful meet-up for the pair.
The procedure on a Tuesday went smoothly for both Hepp and Saylor, and both of them were released that Friday, with Saylor being released a little earlier than expected.
“It is so interesting, but they say that usually the recipient bounces back a little faster than the donor; their bodies are happy to receive the new organ that is functioning better,” Hepp said. “It was neat to visit with Henry in his room at the hospital, and was amazing to see how well he was doing even so soon after the surgery.”
The Urbana resident said while the initial days afterward included some pain and discomfort, each day become “easier and easier.
“Probably the hardest part for me was having to just sit around while I was back home. I’m a mom and I’m used to taking care of everyone. My kids and Jeff were great about helping me with everything I needed.”
Less than two months after the surgery, the kidney donor said she has recovered well and has been able to go back to work. Once she reaches the three-month mark, all of her physical activity restrictions will be lifted.
She is encouraged with every text message that she receives from Saylor, talking about how his life has changed for the better after receiving the new kidney. He recently told her he got rid of his dialysis equipment and his port has been removed. He also attended his grandson’s race at Shadybowl Speedway, something that would not have been possible before the procedure.
“I love hearing from him and how he’s doing,” she said of her 74-year-old friend, with whom she now shares a special bond.
Now after completing the successful kidney donation, Hepp would like to become an organ donation ambassador for Lifeline of Ohio, so she can encourage others through the process and provide them with first-hand advice and support.
She noted that all of a donor’s medical expenses are covered by their recipient’s insurance, easing any financial burden with the decision to donate as well.
“For anyone who’s thinking about it, I’m here to encourage them through it. It’s been a meaningful journey that has strengthened my faith,” she said.