(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas, 30, center, embraces the man who saved his life when Matthew Thompson, 32, a Good Samaritan organ donor at Intermountain Medical Center generously donated his kidney to him. The two men are now "brothers for life" in the words of Salas who has battled kidney troubles since he was a baby. The two, who are still in the hospital met for the first time on Friday, March 29, 2019. Mitchell's parents Nancy and Willie Salas, at left, exclaimed "thank you for giving life back to my boy."
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas becomes emotional as he meets Matthew Thompson for the first time after receiving a kidney from him as part of the Good Samaritan organ donor program. Both recovering from surgery a couple of days ago at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on Friday, March 29, 2019. For Thompson the idea of donation started as a thought after hearing a motivational speaker talk about donating a kidney to his brother.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Willie Salas, left, is joined by his daughter-in-law Kayelin, son Kyle and sister-in-law Cheryl Harrison as they listen to Mitchell Salas talk to Matthew Thompson who donated his kidney to him. The 30-year-old from Woods Cross who has battled kidney problems since he was a baby and also fought off testicular cancer has a new lease on life.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas becomes speaks with Matthew Thompson for the first time after receiving a kidney from him as part of the Good Samaritan organ donor program. Both recovering from surgery a couple of days ago at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on Friday, March 29, 2019. For Thompson the idea of donation started as a thought after hearing a motivational speaker talk about donating a kidney to his brother.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Matthew Thompson and Mitchell Salas, once complete strangers embrace after Matthew generously donated a kidney to the other as a Good Samaritan organ donation at Intermountain Medical Center earlier this week. The two, who are still in the hospital met for the first time on Friday, March 29, 2019.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas becomes speaks with Matthew Thompson for the first time after receiving a kidney from him as part of the Good Samaritan organ donor program. Both recovering from surgery a couple of days ago at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on Friday, March 29, 2019. For Thompson the idea of donation started as a thought after hearing a motivational speaker talk about donating a kidney to his brother.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas, 30, center, holds the hand of the man who saved his life when Matthew Thompson, 32, a good samaritan organ donor at Intermountain Medical Center generously donated his kidney to him. The two men are now "brothers for life" in the words of Salas who has battled kidney troubles since he was a baby. The two, who are still in the hospital met for the first time on Friday, March 29, 2019. Mitchell's father Willie Salas, at left, exclaimed "thank you for giving life back to my boy."
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Willie Salas,left, gives Matthew Thompson a stuffed kidney to sign following his gift of life to his son Mitchell, center, as the two recover at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray following their kidney transplant surgery. Once complete strangers to one another, Thompson agreed to meet the man he donated his kidney to as part of the Good Samaritan organ donor program.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mitchell Salas, left, poses for a photograph with Matthew Thompson holding up a stuffed kidney after the two met for the first time following their transplant surgery at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray earlier this week. The two Utah men met for the first time after Thompson generously donated his kidney to the other as a Good Samaritan organ donation on Friday, March 29, 2019.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Matthew Thompson is embraced by Willie Salas as he expresses his gratitude for the generous kidney donation Thompson made to his son Mitchell earlier in the week at Intermountain Medical in Murray. "Thank you for giving life back to my boy," exclaimed Salas.
Two Utah men who were complete strangers to one another are now forever connected by a donated kidney.
Earlier this week, Mitchell Salas, 30, of Woods Cross, received a kidney from living donor Matthew Thompson, 32, of Stansbury Park.
Salas has had kidney problems since he was an baby. He has been in and out of hospitals for almost 30 years and has spent the last three years on dialysis. More than three years ago, a battle with testicular cancer briefly bumped him off the donation list, but Salas gained a new lease on life when the call finally came.
“Are you sure? Are you serious?” Salas said when he heard from an Intermountain Medical Center transplant coordinator about the available kidney from a live donor.
A lot of good Samaritan donors don’t meet the recipient, but Salas wanted the opportunity to say thank you.
“[N]ot all superheroes wear capes and this guy has literally saved my life,” Salas said.
For Thompson, the idea of organ donation started after hearing a motivational speaker talk about donating a kidney to his brother.
“I’m helping someone who needs help and to me this is really no different that helping a neighbor who needs help unloading the groceries," Thompson said.
“We are brothers for life,” Salas said, wiping aways tears.
During the last three years Intermountain Medical teams have performed 80 living kidney donation surgeries, seven were Good Samaritan, non-directed altruistic donations.
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