In late 2004 Ellie King faced daily dialysis as her kidneys increasingly deteriorated. Tests indicated no matches among her relatives and friends for an organ donation, so she prepared for the surgery required for regular dialysis.
“I knew the reality of the operation, yet God gave me peace about it all,” King said in a U.S. Thanksgiving testimony at Midland Park (N.J.) Christian Reformed Church in November.
What she didn’t know was that God was working in the heart of fellow church member Nancy Simcox. Simcox approached King just before Christmas 2004 and told her she was going to donate one of her kidneys to King. Somehow Simcox knew it would be a perfect match. Test after test subsequently showed that Simcox was an excellent match for King.
The transplant took place in February 2005. King said she felt her physical strength start to return right away. “Ellie’s hair almost immediately regained its redness, and her eyes turned from grey to beautiful blue once more,” Simcox said.
Standing before the congregation on Thanksgiving Day, King said, “Thank you, Nancy, from the bottom of my heart for following God’s direction.”
Rev. Peter Hoytema said the experience has had a profound impact on his congregation. “We have all witnessed the beauty of God’s tender mercies right before our eyes,” he said. “This shining example of God’s grace and our capacity for selfless love has fortified us all, and it will linger as an inspiration to many for a long time to come.”
