For Rev. Brandon Macadaeg, the opportunity to become a kidney donor for his mother has been a spirit-filled journey.

The surgery, which took place Dec. 27 at Stanford University Medical Center, was successful. “Everything went well,” Father Macadaeg said. Both the son and his mother, Cindy, were out of the hospital four days after the surgical procedure.

For Father Macadaeg, undergoing the surgery on this particular feast day is providential. To be able to show love for one’s mom is “a very powerful thing for me to do,” he said.

The new kidney, which began to immediately do its job of removing waste products and excess fluid from the body, means that Cindy Macadaeg no longer has to undergo dialysis three times a week. Mrs. Macadaeg, who had stage five kidney failure, was on a strict diet, noted her husband, Cedric. “She is now eating foods that she couldn’t eat before.”

Preparing for the donation took about a year. Father Macadaeg had to undergo blood and urine tests and be interviewed by the transplant team. A physical evaluation took place in June to ensure that he was “in tip-top shape.” He had to lose weight, which meant “getting into good exercise habits.”

All of this preparation was done in order to win the approval of the transplant team. Not only did the surgery get “the green light” in early December, Father Macadaeg turned out to be a near perfect match for his mom. This was good news because it meant the chances that his mother’s body would reject the kidney were “very slim.”

The priest said that as a result of this medical journey he has even more respect for the dignity of human life. “It is definitely a miracle,” he said.

“I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be generous, which is significant because the priesthood is defined by what we give away, not what we hold onto. Giving a kidney away is a very priestly act that I am very blessed in doing.”

Full story at Catholic Voice Oakland.