High school athletic director surprised by kidney donor, undergoes surgery
Beloved Fayette County Athletic Director receives successful kidney transplant
FOX 5 Atlanta was there in both operating rooms to witness the life-saving transplant at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. McIntosh High School Athletic Director Leon Hammond learned by surprise that Alan Reeves, a U.S. Secret Service agent, would be providing the healthy kidney just three months earlier.
ATLANTA - FOX 5 was in the operating room at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital when a Fayette County high school athletic director received a life changing kidney transplant.
FOX 5 first reported the story of Leon Hammond last November. FOX 5’s Doug Evans attended the transplant surgery and was part of the first news crew allowed in the Piedmont’s surgery center since the pandemic.
At 7:20 a.m., kidney donor Alan Reeves was wheeled into Operating Room 38 at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. The recipient, Leon Hammond, and his transplant team would be right next door in Operating Room 40.
The robot-assisted surgery began shortly after 8 a.m. In total, it took a two-hour operation to remove Alan’s healthy kidney.
Earlier that morning, Reeves and his wife Renee, and Hammond and his wife Kim reflected on the journey that brought these two men and their two families together.
Hammond was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure. He had only been on the transplant list for 30 days when he made a social media plea for help.
"I hope that our story touches the hearts of other people and makes them consider donating," Hammond said. "And hopefully they get the opportunity to experience this as well."
"This is two people being helped," Reeves told FOX 5. "Not just Leon, but myself. Because medically, I’ve had to make changes to my diet and get more rest and sleep."
It was three months ago during a faculty meeting at McIntosh High School in Fayette County, that Reeves surprised Hammond with news that he was a perfect match and a willing donor for the kidney transplant he needed.
A FOX 5 story showing the emotional announcement made between these two strangers meeting for the first time was played around the world.
Piedmont Hospital performs over 300 kidney transplants a year. The transplant facility in Georgia can do it robotically. Surgeon Emmanuel Minja sat at a console working the controls, while Reeves was five feet away under the robot’s arms.
"We’ve noticed that our robotic donors end up leaving the hospital a little bit sooner and their recovery at home is a little easier," said Dr. Minja, of the Piedmont Atlanta Transplant Institute.
It took two hours to remove Reeves’ kidney.
Dr. Miguel Tan is the surgeon who readied the organ, and then transplanted it into Hammond in another two-hour procedure.
Amazingly, that same afternoon Reeves was on his feet and visiting Hammond. He was home the next day, and going on walks with Renee just three days later.
Meanwhile, Hammond is expected to be out of the hospital later this week, healthy and grateful for the life ahead.