Health Watch: Hero at Home

Most people are born with two kidneys, although only one is required to live. That is what makes it possible for someone to donate a kidney and still live a normal life. Donating a kidney isn't an easy decision to make, but the decision to give an extraordinary gift linked two Army families forever.

First Sergeant Corey Myers spent half of his life in the U.S. Army and as soldier Myers put his country first.

When Myers was called to Iraq or Afghanistan, he went without question. When Myers was asked to help save a 10-year-old boy's life, he did that too.

There are three things Myers says he is passionate about, his family, the Army and baseball.

The 33-year-old served in the Army for 16 years, and pulled tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

As an instructor at the Army's elite Ranger School at Fort Benning, First Sergeant Myers is a pretty tough guy.

"I'm not a guy to go at something 50 percent. It's a hundred percent or nothing at all," said Myers.

Myers proved that by stepping up to the plate when 10-year-old Nicholas Story needed help.

The Myers and Story families met when their sons played baseball together and the two dads, both Rangers helped coach the team.

Soon, Jacob Myers, Nicholas Story and their two families were inseparable.

"We're always together, our wives are always together, me and Vern are always together, we have cookouts, eat dinner, everything is done as a big extended family," said Myers.

Like family, the Myers and Story clans stuck together when a routine physical found Nicholas Story had a life-threatening problem.

"They figured out I only had one kidney," said Nicholas Story.

Tests showed the younger Story had one working kidney and it was underdeveloped and unable to keep filtering toxins from his young body.

The doctor said Nicholas Story's only option was a kidney transplant.

"He said, 'I got you an appointment with CHOA' and I said well, 'why?' and he said, 'because your child needs a kidney transplant.' I just [broke down into] tears, you know," said Rebecca Story.

Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta told the Story family that Nicholas Story would do best if he got a kidney from a living donor. Both of Nicholas Story's parents were tested and unbeknownst to them, so did their best friends, Julie and Corey Myers.

"I spoke to my husband about it and I said, 'gosh I wish we could help them' and he said 'well let's be tested,'" recalled Julie Myers.

"She just said, 'you know, um, Corey's O blood type' and I said, 'OK' and I really thought nothing of it and she said, 'no I'm telling you Corey's an O if you need him' and I said, 'oh my God! I could never ever ask him for that.' She said, 'well you're not asking, so,'" said Rebecca Story.

"So they kind of moved me from I guess you could say, the on-deck circle to being the guy up at bat," said Corey Myers.

On April 28, Corey Myers' kidney was removed at Emory University Hospital by Dr. Nicole Turgeon.

"It certainly was a wonderful kidney, it was perfect by all means," said Dr. Turgeon.

When Emory surgeons put the kidney inside Nicholas Story, they said it started working like gangbusters.

"He said, 'we hooked it up and it started working, you couldn't ask for anything better than that' and he said, 'Corey's kidney, you've got to tell him, it was beautiful!" said Dr. Turgeon.

A grateful Corey Myers gave Dr. Turgeon an honorary Ranger tab that she now carries with her in her purse.

Dr. Turgeon said she wasn't the one who deserved a medal. "I think what he doesn't understand is how much of a hero he is to me. More than he knows," said Dr. Turgeon.

A month after the surgery, Corey Myers was fully recovered.

"Being healthy, being in shape, sped my recovery up about three weeks," said Corey Myers.

Now, Nicholas Story has a Ranger's energy and the appetite to go with it.

"He blames it on Corey. Corey eats every meal on the dot, [if] he's not eating 30 minutes later he's freaking out. Then Nicholas says, 'oh it's the man kidney. Corey eats, I [have to] eat!'" said Rebecca Story.

"It's bigger than my hand. It goes from about here to here and it's really big," said Nicholas Story as he described his new kidney.

The big, old Ranger kidney has Nick Story feeling pretty good and Corey Myers said his mission was accomplished.

"I look at it as, I did something, it didn't affect me, it helped Nick and the Story family. It's all good and we all continue on in our normal lives," said Corey Myers.

Because Corey Myers stepped forward, Nichols Story never had to go on dialysis and that gave him a better chance of recovering quickly and leading a health, normal life.

Related Links – Kidney Transplants, Donation:

Organ Donation:
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic.cfm?topic=11

Emory University Hospital Transplant Information:
http://www.surgery.emory.edu/transplant/

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta / Pediatric Kidney Transplant:
http://www.choa.org/default.aspx?id=694