Family’s handyman gives a “service” of a lifetime by being a kidney donor

• Daniel Reynolds is a 62-year-old veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers.
• He worked as a handyman with the Antonelli’s family in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
• When Dan found out about Tony Antonelli’s kidney failure, he donated his kidney as appreciation for their kindness.

The Antonelli family in Gaithersburg, Maryland often calls Daniel Reynolds whenever they need something fixed in their house.

But on that one fateful day, Dan offered the “service of a lifetime” to the Antonellis, when he gave his kidney to Tony, who was suffering from kidney failure.

Dan is a 62-year-old veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers. Life hit him hard that at one point, he became homeless, but was able to get through by using his skills as a handyman.

This was how he met Tony and Mary Antonelli, who helped him recover by allowing him to work for them, running fixes in the house.

It was in October 2020, when after his routinary job with the Antonellis, Dan noticed that Tony, 75, wasn’t feeling well. He went on to ask Tony if everything was okay.

It turned out that Tony was about to undergo dialysis due to his persistent kidney illness. Apparently, Tony went under the knife four years ago because of kidney failure and received a kidney donation, but had developed scars later on, and doctors couldn’t figure out why.

Tony and his wife Mary were getting anxious this time as Tony’s age might not be ideal for another kidney operation, let alone another shot at life.

When Dan heard all about this, without hesitation, he offered to donate his kidney. It was a rather casual conversation with the couple when he asked what Tony’s blood type was, and as soon as he found out they share the same blood type, Dan said, “Well that’s my blood type! I would be honored to give you my kidney. What number do I call?”

Without wasting time, the three went on to get things done.

Tony, who was grateful for Dan’s help, was also worried on how he would recover post-operation. He knew Dan is struggling financially, so Tony started a GoFundMe to help cover some expenses. He was able to raise over $15,000!

In February 2021, Tony and Dan underwent their kidney transplant surgery at George Washington Hospital. It was a successful operation!

Dan’s inspiring story spread across town quickly, and people were eager to know what pushed him to do something so great especially to people who are almost strangers — or friends, in this case.

For Dan, Tony isn’t just a friend, but a lifesaver as well. He said he wanted to repay the kindness that Tony and his family showed him when he was at his lowest.

“Would I like for everybody to understand is, we can help each other in ways that are immense, you know. I know we’d all have better lives if we just got along with each other,” Dan said.

Source: Inspire More