Charlotte man receives kidney from stranger in New Hampshire

CHARLOTTE — A woman dropped everything, traveled to another state and donated her kidney to a man in Charlotte—a man she barely knew.

About a year ago, Tim Peterkin and Cathy Slack hardly knew each other, but they happened to work in the same position for the same company.

Peterkin lives in Charlotte, NC. Slack lives in New Hampshire.

“We met one time at a company function, and he doesn’t remember me because he wasn’t feeling well,” Slack said.

“Cathy said we were at the same table for one of the director’s meetings. Like, I was there physically, but mentally I was not there,” Peterkin recalled.

Not long after this chance encounter, Peterkin learned he had polycystic kidney disease.

Dialysis three times a week, for four hours at a time, quickly became his norm.

“When I first started dialysis, I was like, ‘I’m going to get a kidney within my first year,’ and all my nurses were like, ‘we don’t want you to set unrealistic expectations.’ And I was like, ‘no, I’m going to get a kidney,’” Peterkin said.

However, that first year passed and there was no indication that a donation was coming.

Peterkin was motivated as ever and decided to get creative by sharing his story with his co-workers.

“I just remember his glorious smile,” Slack said. “So, when I saw his story in the company newsletter, I remembered him and said, ‘oh my gosh, I can help him,’” she said.

Slack went through the testing, the expense and the time, discovering she was a perfect match.

“I called him and I was like, ‘oh my God, oh my God, it’s going to happen!’ He just laughed and I could feel him smiling over the phone,” Slack said.

On Nov.9, they walked into the hospital together and had their operations.

Surgeons said Slack’s kidney took to Peterkin before the recipient was even off the operating table.

Afterward, the two said they could not wait to see each other again.

“Is this a relationship or bond you could have foreseen?” Channel 9 reporter Susanna Black asked Slack.

“I’ll get all teary here in a minute, but it’s one of the nicest things,” Slack answered.

Peterkin considers Slack a savior and will forever be a sign that there is hope no matter the obstacle.

“When I talked to all my dialysis friends throughout the years, that’s one of the things they always talked about was, ‘I hope somebody would come save me from this treatment and lifestyle.’ So yeah, she’s definitely that for me. She’s giving me another chance on life,” he said.

Peterkin said he is close to returning to work full time. He and Slack also are working to raise awareness about kidney disease.

They say they want people to know how simple it is to get tested to find out if you are a match and could save someone’s life.

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Fort Mill man takes action waiting for much-needed kidney transplant

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