Oklahoma Youngsters Become Blood Brothers Through Kidney Transplant

January 6, 2010 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

Ashton Owens and Brandon Harmon live miles apart in Oklahoma, but they became blood brothers nine days ago when they each received a kidney donated by the grieving family of a third Oklahoma family. That family faced the death of their son on Christmas Day.

During the middle of a rare Christmas blizzard, both Ashton’s and Brandon’s families received a phone call inquiring if they could possibly make it to OU Medical Center for a transplant. If you live in Oklahoma, you understand that during that time, all state highways had been officially closed because of 14 inches of snow in the Oklahoma City area. On Christmas Eve winds reached almost 50 mph gusts, creating deep snow drifts. The cars of holiday travelers trying to make it home for Christmas were stranded everywhere.

Well, sometimes where there is a will, there is a way! Both families had a will for a son to have a chance at life.

Brandon’s family traveled about 80 miles from Duncan to Oklahoma City. Ashton’s family traveled approximately 55 miles from Pauls Valley.

The two boys were evaluated for surgery, and the two transplants were performed back-to-back on December 27 by Dr. Puneet Sindhwani at University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Dr. Sindhwani reported that both surgeries went well and that the boys were out of bed within days.

Ashton and Brandon have become close friends. They played hide-and-seek with the nurses, and they even compared incisions. Their bond celebrates their new-found life.

Their families have mixed feelings as they celebrate their own joy, never forgetting that a third Oklahoma family is grieving the loss of their child.

“What they did was the most honorable decision a person could make,” said John Harmon, Brandon’s father.

“For them to give the gift of life to others is just amazing.”

To read more about these Oklahoma families, visit NewsOK.com.