Lexington firefighter donates kidney to fellow firefighter's son

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Lexington firefighter is saving a life, but this time it has nothing to do with putting out fires.

Firefighter Tim Belcher recently discovered that he was a match for 7-year-old John, the son of Lt. Joseph Sexton. The successful kidney transplant was on Tuesday, according to a report by LEX 18.

Both Belcher and Sexton serve in the Lexington Fire Department.

In 2021, when he was 5 years old, John got very sick. Sexton and his wife Katie thought it was a simple stomach bug, but it turned out to be something much worse: E-Coli 0157. The E-coli then developed into a rare disease called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

That's when doctors say John needed the life-saving kidney transplant.

"It's really devastating 'cause here's a young kid that's just starting out, has his whole life ahead of him," Lt. Sexton said. "And then it's kind of like, 'Hmmm...not no more.'"

But that's when Belcher stepped in with the life-saving gift of a kidney.

"It's truly an honor to be able to help out," Belcher said Thursday. "That's what we're here for: to help each other. So it's a huge honor -- a godsend."

Doctors say it's a gift that will allow John to enjoy being a kid again.