Local man to receive kidney from his daughter

A Mt. Juliet man is thankful he raised a grateful child.

Christopher Stewart is days away from getting a kidney transplant, and his daughter is the donor.

"I've been sick for seven years and on the transplant list for about a year," he said. "It took a while to get on the list."

Being on the list is important, but finding a donor who is a match is the hard part. Luckily for Stewart, his daughter, Christal Stewart, 21, fit the bill.

"She got tested to see if she was a match, and she was a perfect match," he said.
A Mt. Juliet man is thankful he raised a grateful child.
Christopher Stewart is days away from getting a kidney transplant, and his daughter is the donor.
"I've been sick for seven years and on the transplant list for about a year," he said. "It took a while to get on the list."
Being on the list is important, but finding a donor who is a match is the hard part. Luckily for Stewart, his daughter, Christal Stewart, 21, fit the bill.
"She got tested to see if she was a match, and she was a perfect match," he said.
Perfect or not, it's not easy for a parent to take anything from a child, let alone a kidney.
"I had mixed emotions when I found out she was a match," Stewart said. "It was a pretty big sacrifice for her. Not only is she giving up a piece of herself, but she will have to miss work, and she works two jobs."
Christopher Stewart's mom, Joyce Hastings, said she, too, has mixed feelings about her granddaughter being the donor.
"It's been a long time coming, but now it's not one anymore. It's two," she said. "She's always said, 'I'm her role model,' but in this, she's my hero. She is my first grandchild, and she has always been a daddy's girl."
Hastings' faith is keeping her strong as two members of her family head toward the operating room at the same time.
"God has this all in control," she said.
Stewart is lucky to have such a dedicated child, but his daughter isn't the only one to step up to help him out.
He is also grateful to Lebanon dentist, Dr. Charles Daley for helping him get on the transplant list. Stewart was required to undergo an extensive dental screening before being placed on the list - an expensive screening.
"The screening cost $4,000, and we didn't have that. Dr. Daley offered to do the screening for free," Stewart said.
His family had organized one fundraiser to try to pay for the screening, but fell short.
"I offered to give Dr. Daley what we had, but he said 'keep it and use it,'" he said. "Without him I wouldn't be on the list. He took a hit on his own pocket book to help me."
Stewart's surgery is scheduled for Thursday at Vanderbilt University Hosptial. He's impressed by the doctors there and highly recommends the hospital for anyone facing the same situation.
Stewart is disabled, and his wife's paycheck is providing the supplemental insurance to help pay for the procedure. But it is putting a financial strain on the family, in addition to the emotional strain of having two family members on the operating table at the same time.
Anyone who would like to help can call Stewart at 615-995-4072.

kidney Photo: Submitted to The Democrat

Christal Stewart, 21, of Mt. Juliet, gets a kiss from her grateful dad, Christopher Stewart who will receive a new kidney Thursday courtesy of his daughter.