Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Val Hale, former BYU athletic director, received a kidney from his son.
- Brandon Hale was a perfect match and donated a kidney in January.
- Organ donation saves lives; over 900 Utahns await transplants, highlighting its importance.
AMERICAN FORK — Like father, like son. Val and Brandon Hale share a love of sports — golf in particular — but now, they have an even more unique bond.
When Val Hale went in for a routine physical 13 years ago, he received surprising news.
"My doctor looked at the bloodwork results and said, 'You need to go see a nephrologist,'" he said. "The biopsy confirmed that I had chronic kidney disease, and I was in Stage 3. And that was a shock to me."
Hale, father of three and former athletic director at BYU, knew the day would come when he would either need a transplant or have to go on dialysis.
"It was kinda like a ticking time bomb," he said. "Finally, my numbers dropped below the threshold where I could qualify for a kidney transplant."
His siblings and children tested to see if they could donate; his son, Brandon, came back as a "perfect match."
"As soon as I got the news, I called my dad and told him, and I could hear the relief in his voice," Brandon Hale said.
In January, Brandon Hale donated a kidney to his father.
"I'll forever be forever grateful for Brandon for actually making the donation, and for all those who were willing to do it," Val Hale said.
"It's hard to imagine a greater gift than giving someone the gift of life," said Jennifer Johnson-Parker, an organ transplant coordinator at Intermountain Medical Center.
Organ transplantation saves more than 28,000 lives per year, and each individual donor can save up to eight lives.
In the U.S., 100,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant. More than 900 Utahns are on that waiting list.
"We encourage everyone to at least consider marking 'yes' to organ donation on their driver's license," Johnson-Parker said. "If you're interested in living donation, we'd love to hear from you. A preemptive transplant before someone even needs dialysis is associated with the best outcomes we see in kidney transplant, and on average, would be expected to double expected lifespan."
Hale had to isolate following his transplant and will remain on immunosuppressants for the duration of his life.
"I can sense the difference," he said. "I have more energy, and I can tell that my kidneys are functioning and doing the things they're supposed to."
He's looking forward to playing in more golf tournaments with Brandon Hale and spending more time with his 13 grandkids.
"When you think about it, you're able to impact someone's life so dramatically, it's really a small sacrifice to be made," Brandon Hale said.
"To receive a kidney and to basically be given a lease on life, what a great blessing. It really is amazing," Val Hale said.
To sign up to become a living organ donor, go to IntermountainHealthcare.org/DonateLife.
You can sign up as an organ donor when you renew your driver's license, or go to yesutah.org to register.
