MARSHAL TO SEE IF ANYONE WAS HURT. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK. A RETIRED ARMY MASTER SERGEANT FINALLY GOT THE HELP THAT HE’S BEEN WAITING FOR FOR YEARS NOW. BACK IN NOVEMBER, WE PROFILED A VETERAN WHO WAS IN NEED OF A KIDNEY WESH TWO. DAVID JONES DID THAT STORY. AND DAVID, TODAY YOU GOT A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH HIM ONCE AGAIN. LUANA I DID, HE TOLD ME AFTER THAT STORY AIRED, HE GOT MESSAGES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW WHAT? THESE PROCESSES, IT CAN TAKE SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER A PERSON IS EVEN A SUITABLE MATCH TO DONATE A KIDNEY. WELL, HAPPY TO REPORT HE FINALLY GOT HIS NEW KIDNEY ON APRIL 1ST. WE WENT TO OWEN MCCURDY’S SAINT CLOUD HOME IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR. LET’S SEE. I DON’T SEE IF IT FITS. THE RETIRED ARMY MASTER SERGEANT EVEN DONNED HIS JACKET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS SINCE HE RETIRED IN 2003. HE TOLD US ABOUT HIS KIDNEY ISSUES AND HIS MORE THAN SIX YEARS ON ADVENTHEALTH’S DONOR LIST. I REALLY STRONGLY BELIEVE IF YOU HADN’T DID THE STORY, I WOULDN’T BE IN THE SITUATION I AM TODAY. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY. MCCURDY IS IN RECOVERY AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TRANSPLANT ON APRIL 1ST. JUST LIKE ANY SURGERIES. YOU KNOW, I’M JUST GOING THROUGH SOME PAIN AND I’M JUST A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE NOW. BUT I’M TRULY BLESSED. MCCURDY SAYS HE GOT MESSAGES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT HIS EVENTUAL DONOR WILL BE A WOMAN FROM DALLAS. SHE FACEBOOKED ME FIRST. WE TALKED SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD, HE SAYS. HER SURGERY TOOK 2.5 HOURS. HIS TOOK 5.5 HOURS. HE SAID BACK IN NOVEMBER THAT HE HOPED HIS CALL FOR HELP WOULD RESONATE, AND IT CERTAINLY HAS THE COVERAGE. YOU GUYS DID. THE NEWS STORY, THE WAY YOU LAID IT OUT. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THAT NEED SOMETHING, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE WORD OUT AND YOU’LL BE AMAZED SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE HEAR YOUR STORY, THE WAY IT’S PRESENTED DEEP DOWN INSIDE OF THEM, THEY WANT TO HELP. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. AND LUANA MCCURDY TELLS ME HE HOPES HIS STORY WILL INSPIRE OTHERS TO BECOME DONORS THEMSELVES, AND POTENTIALLY WILL ALSO INSPIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING FOR DONATIONS AS WELL. VERY NICE. AND IS THERE A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND OTHER VETERANS LIKE HIM TO GET THOSE KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS? THERE IS RIGHT NOW WESH.COM. YOU CAN READ MCCURDY’S FULL STORY, AND YOU CAN ALSO LEARN MORE ABOUT AN ORGANIZATION CALLED DOVE. THEY’RE AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH VETERANS IN NEED OF
Central Florida veteran receives kidney donation after more than 6 years waiting
Updated: 10:21 PM EDT Apr 5, 2026
An Army veteran from Osceola County finally received the help he’s been waiting years for in the form of a kidney donation.Retired MSgt. Owen McCurty, who lives in St. Cloud, was profiled in a November story on WESH 2 as he sought to raise awareness of his situation: high creatinine levels in his kidneys, kidney disease and the need for eventual dialysis.After retiring from the Army in 2003, he said his issues progressively got worse until he had to be put on Advent Health’s donor list more than six years ago.”Someone stepping forward to integrate themselves in my journey and giving me something, it would mean the world to me,” McCurty said back in November.The story aired, and he said messages began coming in from around the country as the story had been picked up by affiliate stations.Soon, he would meet his kidney match: a woman from Dallas, Texas.”She Facebooked me first, we talked several times, and she decided to move forward,” McCurty told WESH 2 on Sunday.”Just like any surgeries, I’m just going through some pain and just a little uncomfortable now, but I’m truly blessed.”He said her surgery took two-and-a-half hours and his took five-and-a-half hours.”The coverage you guys did, the news story, the way you laid it out, a lot of times, when people need something, it’s very difficult to get the word out,” McCurty said. “You’ll be amazed, sometimes when people hear your story, the way it’s presented, deep down inside of them, they want to help. That’s exactly what happened to me.” Now, he said he hopes his story will inspire others to become donors, and he said it’s his hope that stories like his will continue to be highlighted.”I really strongly believe if you hadn’t done the story, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am today,” McCurty said.If you want to learn more about DOVE, an organization connecting potential kidney donors with veterans in need, click here.
ST. CLOUD, Fla. —
An Army veteran from Osceola County finally received the help he’s been waiting years for in the form of a kidney donation.
Retired MSgt. Owen McCurty, who lives in St. Cloud, was profiled in a November story on WESH 2 as he sought to raise awareness of his situation: high creatinine levels in his kidneys, kidney disease and the need for eventual dialysis.
After retiring from the Army in 2003, he said his issues progressively got worse until he had to be put on Advent Health’s donor list more than six years ago.
“Someone stepping forward to integrate themselves in my journey and giving me something, it would mean the world to me,” McCurty said back in November.
The story aired, and he said messages began coming in from around the country as the story had been picked up by affiliate stations.
Soon, he would meet his kidney match: a woman from Dallas, Texas.
“She Facebooked me first, we talked several times, and she decided to move forward,” McCurty told WESH 2 on Sunday.
“Just like any surgeries, I’m just going through some pain and just a little uncomfortable now, but I’m truly blessed.”
He said her surgery took two-and-a-half hours and his took five-and-a-half hours.
“The coverage you guys did, the news story, the way you laid it out, a lot of times, when people need something, it’s very difficult to get the word out,” McCurty said. “You’ll be amazed, sometimes when people hear your story, the way it’s presented, deep down inside of them, they want to help. That’s exactly what happened to me.”
Now, he said he hopes his story will inspire others to become donors, and he said it’s his hope that stories like his will continue to be highlighted.
“I really strongly believe if you hadn’t done the story, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am today,” McCurty said.
If you want to learn more about DOVE, an organization connecting potential kidney donors with veterans in need, click here.