American Idol season 8 alum, Scott MacIntyre needed another kidney. He announced last October that he had only six months until his kidneys would fail.
Now, according to People magazine, 8 months later, Scott has undergone a successful transplant thanks to an anonymous donor.
“I am so grateful to have received the gift of life through organ donation for the second time,” reads a statement from Scott, who previously underwent a kidney transplant at age 22 after being diagnosed with kidney failure in his late teens. The singer is 29 years old.
The first kidney was transplanted by Scott’s college piano teacher’s wife. But this time, a complete stranger stepped up to offer him the gift of life.
“The kidney was given by an anonymous living donor, one of several individuals who underwent compatibility testing,” said Scott’s surgeon, who performed the procedure at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital on June 4. “This particular person heard about MacIntyre’s kidney failure on the radio and turned out to be a great match.”
“I am truly humbled that a stranger would give themselves to me in this way,” said a grateful Scott. “I want to thank every person who offered to be tested as a potential donor for me.”
After Scott leaves the hospital, he’ll need six weeks to recover, said his surgeon. The singer, who has been legally blind since birth, is looking forward to returning to promoting his latest album, Lighthouse and releasing new episodes of his iTunes podcast 2 Blind Men. He said he is “excited to begin a new chapter of life” with his wife Christina.
“My wife and I have truly been blessed beyond measure by all the loving kindness shown by fans, friends, family, and the incredible team at Vanderbilt,” said Scott who has his eye on resuming his tour schedule as soon as he can. “This experience has deepened my faith and I’m so grateful that God has answered yes to so many of my prayers concerning my transplant.”
I’m glad that difficult story had a happy ending. It takes a very special act of selflessness to donate a kidney to a total stranger. Here’s hoping his new organ offers Scott many more healthy years.
