When Winston-Salem’s Tommy Pender and Randon Blackmon were in first grade together, neither suspected that they would one day marry. Years later, the Penders discovered they were truly made for each other.

In 2004, Tommy’s lupus led to kidney failure. Without a healthy kidney, he was destined to dialysis treatments along with anemia, pain, and fatigue from the lupus.

“It was in my mind that since my blood type was O positive [universal donor], I should be able to donate a kidney to Tommy.” When she learned they had to be a tissue match as well, Randon was shaken, but not discouraged. “Sure enough…we were a very good match.”

After the transplant in August 2004, which took place at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Tommy was amazed at how much better he felt. Randon was back to work as a nurse case manager four days later.

The Penders’ experience led to Randon speaking at a Clemmons Rotary Club meeting last year. The group was spear-heading a project to raise awareness about the need for donors: Commercial trucking companies agreed to feature donors and recipients on the sides of several rigs, along with Donate Life North Carolina information.

Today, an H&W Trucking tractor-trailer displays the Penders’ smiling faces as an example of a donor/recipient success story. The couple hopes they’ll serve as motivation for others to be tested for tissue matches for individuals on transplant waiting lists. Approximately 3,000 people are on such waiting lists in the state. One person can save eight lives through organ donation and enhance more than 50 lives through tissue donation.

Visit donatelifenc.org for details about how to be tested and the registration process.