“I AM WILLING TO DONATE A KIDNEY TO WHOEVER NEEDS IT”
Fort Worth, Texas (January 28, 2016) – An Arlington police officer, selflessly decided to donate one of his own kidneys to a stranger. This past week, his generous donation at Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth launched a kidney swap chain resulting in three people receiving a new lease on life.
“Arlington Police Detective Josh Gowins literally walked through our front doors and said ‘I am willing to donate a kidney to whoever needs it’, “ said Dr. George Rofaiel, surgical director of transplant services for the Fort Worth Transplant Institute at Plaza Medical Center. Patients often wait a very long time for a kidney and while they are waiting their chances of dying are very high. Mr. Gowins’ generosity lead to three people being transplanted who otherwise might not have survived.
Gowins has been an Arlington police officer for eight years, dedicated to helping the community. He is a 36-year-old husband and father of a four-year-old daughter. Gowins’ kidney went to a woman whose husband wanted to give her his kidney, but they weren’t a transplant match. The husband, in turn, donated a kidney to a stranger, 20 year-old Alonso Ruvalcaba of Fort Worth, who has been on dialysis for two years. Alonso’s 23-year-old brother, Horacio Ruvalcaba, was not a match for Alonso, but donated to yet another stranger, 53-year-old Jose Morales of Fort Worth, who would have needed dialysis without a new kidney.
“It’s so awesome that I can help out these complete strangers in such a profound way, “Gowins said. “I’ve been helped out so many times in the past, and I just felt like that’s one of the reasons we are here is to try to help out our fellow man. Gowins courage to perform this selfless act will forever be remembered.
