LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Texas Tech mechanical engineering professor is back in the classroom, after receiving a kidney transplant from the husband of one of his former students.
A year ago, an outpouring of support came from family, friends and former students, when they found out Jeff Hanson needed a kidney. At the time, Hanson said he would have to start dialysis soon if he did not find a donor. Eventually, 200 people signed up potentially save his life.
“I can’t really talk about it without getting emotional,” Hanson said.
One of his former students, Jennifer Cox, went through the entire donor process and appeared to be a match for Hanson. But doctors found something in one of her scans and denied the transplant in February.
“That’s when she got denied there at the very last step, so it just crushed her. And me, too,” Hanson said.
“It was absolutely terrible,” Cox’s husband, Matt, said. “I was on my way home from work and she called and gave me the information and it was there driving home. I thought to myself, well, if my kidney is good enough for Jenn, and her kidney’s good enough for Jeff, then why wouldn’t my kidney be good enough for Jeff?” Matt said.
“Jenn called the hospital, got him moved to the first position, and said, send us the kits, the test, the whatever, we’ll do it,” Hanson said.
Jenn said she checked in with her husband as testing progressed.
“I appreciate the sentiment of you trying to fix my broken heart and help this through. But at the same time, like, is this what you want to do? And at that point, he was he was all in. I mean, he was like, what are you talking about? Of course I want to do this. Like, if there’s one person we should help in this world, it’s Jeff Hanson,” Jenn said.
Then on June 10, the day Hanson had been waiting for finally arrived. The gift of life was moved from one hospital room to the next.
“The doctor came back and said, this was a boring surgery. And I’m like, what do you mean boring? He was like, everything just went just like it was supposed to,” Hanson said.
Matt has returned to his job after recovering from the surgery. Hanson is back teaching at Texas Tech.
“I was able to come back in there and the students were like, we’re so glad to see you,” Hanson said.
Hanson says his energy has returned and his lab results look better than they ever have.
“But the amazing thing to me is Matt. I mean, when I talked to Matt, I asked him, you know, about sacrifice, the sacrifice that he made and he insisted it was not a sacrifice, it’s a gift. And, you know, how do I pay you back? And he said, you don’t pay me back for this,” Hanson said.
“No, I mean, there’s not a price to be put on it. And we talked about how do you repay that? And really, it’s just you continue to do what you have been doing for me. It’s like, you continue to have that positive impact. You continue to be a pillar in your community and do the things that you have been,” Matt said.
A year ago, Matt said he did not know his blood type. He is now dedicating part of his time to advocating for organ donation.
“By us doing this, it helps out another family or another human in the same manner. I’m all for it. We will do it every day if we have to,” Matt said.
“He’s the most generous person I know,” Hanson said.
More than 11,000 Texans are waiting for life-saving transplants. Register to become an organ, eye or tissue donor today at DonateLifeTexas.org.
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