When Saginaw-area resident Londel Cook was diagnosed with end stage renal failure at a young age, he didn’t understand the severity of his illness.
“I didn’t take any of it seriously because I was 23,” he said. “I was uneducated on organ donation altogether. I wasn’t really interested in trying to get on the transplant list. I was just of the mindset that one day they’re going to start working again, and I was still going to be here.”
Following his diagnosis, Londel started dialysis. He would remain on dialysis for 12 years until a member of his church changed his life completely. Her name was Anetta Williams.
In 2019, Anetta’s brother Willie T. Jones was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. It was fatal. While discussing the possibility of donating his organs as a family, she mentioned that Londel needed a kidney.
“She just heard a voice tell her my name,” Londel said. “The family knew my story and they said they wanted to donate his kidney to me.”
The problem was that Londel wasn’t on the transplant waiting list. For the donation to happen, Londel needed to be listed. Willie’s family worked with the hospital and Londel’s medical team to ensure the directed donation could move forward. By the next day he was on the waiting list. Testing proved that Willie’s kidney was a match.
His community saved his life.
“I went through some hard times and having the support from my community was vital,” Londel said. “They were constantly encouraging me and helping me understand that what I was living for was obtainable. Where I was, was not who I was. I adopted that for myself. My current situation was not the total of what my life would become.”
Because of his transplant, Londel has carried out his own impact on his community. He started working initially as a hospital transport, taking people to their dialysis appointments and sharing his own story of hope with them.
He was also part of getting the Michigan HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act written into law in 2021. The HOPE Act removes restrictions on sending organs from HIV-positive patients out of state. It also allows organs from HIV-positive donors to be transplanted into HIV-positive patients in Michigan. Londel received the Gift of Life Multicultural Difference Maker Award for his inspirational work that same year.
“If I could tell Willie anything, I would tell him that I will always remain diligent and ensure that my life speaks of the gratitude I have for him and his family,” Londel said. “I am honored by the gift. The things I do in this life always pays homage back to the sacrifice he made.”
More than 2,600 patients are waiting for a lifesaving organ in Michigan. The best way to save lives is by joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. To join, visit golm.org/signup.
