The latest installment of Dear David features inspiring stories sent by viewers, including the story of a man who saved two lives through living organ donation and a teenager who used her diagnosis to invent a product for patients like her.
Brian Flynn turned a mid-life crisis into a medical marvel by becoming one of the few people in the world to complete two living organ donations.
When Flynn was approaching his 50th birthday and feeling he needed to do more with his life, he discovered a plea for help on social media. A teacher at his children’s school had posted about her brother, 24-year-old Greg Dentice, who desperately needed a kidney transplant after a childhood kidney infection developed into kidney disease.
Despite never having met Dentice, Flynn got tested and learned he was a match. The two men met for the first time on the morning of the surgery.
“It was inspiring for me to walk in and see Greg,” Flynn said. “You could tell that he was struggling.”
The kidney transplant was successful, and the two men stayed in touch. Dentice mentioned that Flynn could donate part of his liver if he wanted to help someone else.
Flynn researched liver donation and learned he was a good candidate to donate a portion of his liver. He was matched with 4-year-old Richie Ramirez, who needed a liver transplant.
“I did have that moment of, ‘What am I doing? I’ve already done this. This is crazy,'” Flynn said. “And that moment passed because you get this sense of, ‘I’m on a mission, I’m doing something that’s really important.'”
The liver surgery, which is much riskier than a kidney transplant, was successful.
Four years later, Flynn maintains strong bonds with both recipients. Ramirez is now 8 years old and thriving in third grade, while Dentice is married with a young daughter.
“Brian saved my life. I was pretty impressed that he did that for a stranger,” said Ramirez.
Flynn doesn’t plan to make more organ donations but works as an advocate to inspire others, sharing the message that donors get more than they give.
“It gave me something that I could do that was, from my perspective, even extraordinary and to give my life meaning,” Flynn said. “And that’s really hard to find.”
Rachel Bee was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 13 years old, transforming her active childhood into weeks spent in infusion centers receiving treatment for the chronic autoimmune disorder.
“I just wanted to get out and live and be a kid,” Bee said. “But physically my body just wouldn’t let me, because I was in too much pain.”
Bee spent six to eight hours in a chair at an infusion center every week for her treatments. During the sessions, she was always cold and uncomfortable, which sparked an idea for a solution.
That idea became “Infusion Hero,” a sweatshirt with a zippered sleeve that makes it easy for patients to stay warm while maintaining IV access.
Working with her school’s business club and a clothing designer, Bee turned her hand-drawn sketches into a real product. She researched and refined her designs over several months.
“It had started as just an idea, just something I had quickly drawn out on paper,” Bee said. “Fast forward a couple of months, and I’m wearing this hoodie and I can just see how, if I were able to get this product out even though it is in the really early stages, it could be something that could help people so much.”
Bee is now working with a manufacturer and has received more than a dozen pre-orders for the sweatshirts. She plans to continue developing the business while starting college this fall.
“It really gave me a purpose. It gave me passion. It gave me something that I could look forward to, that I can think about” she said. “I really just want to create something that can help people as they go through these experiences because it’s really scary honestly to be in that hospital, so just having a little something there to keep you warm can really make a difference.”
David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive “CBS Mornings” series, “Beg-Knows America.” Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@cbsnews.com
