Photo caption: Niurka Gonzalez, left, prayerfully answered Father Garrett’s call for a kidney donor with the support of her husband, Francisco Gonzalez, and daughter Cecilia Gerval. Courtesy photo
By Carol Olivieri, Correspondent, and staff reports
When Niurka Gonzalez switched up her Mass routine one Sunday last year, she thought she might be in for a unique lesson. “I always say the Lord intends to teach me something when I go to a different church,” Gonzalez said.
That day would prove life-changing for both Gonzalez and Father J.C. Garrett, the day’s celebrant and homilist in St. John the Baptist Church, Allentown.
Father Garrett told of how his priestly vocation had been impacted by kidney failure and a challenging dialysis regimen. Once he discovered that none of his family, friends or colleagues could be donors, he took his quest online with a dedicated website.
Gonzalez is a member of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, which ironically is the same parish that Father Garrett grew up in. But an even stronger connection emerged as Gonzalez listened with great interest to the story that Father Garrett shared with Massgoers that day.
“I was deeply moved to learn about his career and his life as a priest,” she said. “He talked about what it was like to be on dialysis and to be caring for his aging mother and still wanting to return to full-time ministry.”
Gonzalez reached out to Father Garrett to tell him she wanted to help. Humbly, she explained how her faith guided her decision: “I haven’t done great things in my life,” she said. “I felt like this was the right thing to do. I am driven by my spiritual life.”
Next for Gonzalez came a series of tests at the Robert Wood Johnson Transplant Center. Unfortunately, while she qualified to be a donor, she was not a match with Father Garrett. Through preparatory research, she had learned about the Paired Exchange Program, which assists when a potential donor and a recipient do not match.
Gonzalez prayed for discernment. She reached out to Father Garrett and told him, “I still want to help you.”
They both entered the program. A donor was found for Father Garrett, who underwent a successful procedure on July 22. Gonzalez’ kidney was removed on July 23 and transplanted on July 24 into a matching recipient.
When asked about donating to a stranger and experiencing all the risks involved, Gonzalez said she did not share what she was doing with many people because she thought some of their responses might be negative, which would be distracting and draw her away from what she was focused on doing. Gonzalez said her husband is very supportive and her 11-year-old daughter understands the process.
And as for the lesson? “When you do a good deed, the Lord will provide,” she said. “This is not about me. It’s about the Lord and him working through me.”