Man Lost 60 Lbs. to Donate Kidney to Twin Brother: 'I Did What Everyone Else Would Have Done'
One man changed his life in order to save his twin brother’s.
When James Ingley was approached by his identical twin Dalton to donate a kidney, he instantly agreed without any hesitation.
“I don’t think I ever really did ask him to donate,” Dalton, 29, told the Today show. “He automatically said yes.”
James, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, told the outlet that his decision was “the most important thing I had to do” — “I felt like if I had the chance, I would do whatever I could,” he said.
After a routine physical commissioned by his job in Pennsylvania years ago, Dalton discovered that he had an alarmingly high blood pressure, prompting a hospital stay that ended with a stage 3 kidney failure diagnosis.
“At the time, it was like a shock,” recalled Dalton. “How is this happening to me, a 26-year-old?”
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But before James could be a “perfect match” and save his brother, he had to make life adjustments in order to lose weight and make the cut to be an organ donor.
“My whole life sort of just changed,” said James, who weighed 299 lbs. before he made the effort to be more active and eat more healthfully. “The fact that I needed to donate a kidney made it so I’ve been able just to change.”
As James’ new lifestyle led to a weight loss of 60 lbs., he noticed that he could sleep better and experienced a welcome consistency to his everyday life.
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Dalton received James’ kidney in May 2018 after a successful transplant. According to Today, Dalton is currently “feeling great” almost two years after the surgery.
And the life-saving sacrifice meant just as much to James, who said he is happy to have made the lifestyle changes.
“It’s a chance, an opportunity to do something for your fellow man, person, stranger, neighbor, family member, and I think I did what everyone else would have done,” he said. “There’s nothing more special and rewarding.”
