Bradenton Firefighter Donates Kidney To TGH Nurse
A Bradenton firefighter donates his kidney to a TGH nurse. Give it up to former Marine, Lieutenant Derek Foss…he just saved a fellow firefighter’s wife’s life who just happens to be a nurse at TGH.
Brianne Baker was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease when she was a teenager and as she got older, her kidneys started to fail. She was in desperate need of a perfect match. Brianne had a rare antigen in her blood which didn’t give her a great chance of finding a kidney, her chances went from 96% to only 6%.
Her husband Joel Baker is the battalion chief of North River Fire District and was helping her try to find a match. This is where Derek Foss comes into the story. Derek is also a firefighter who is stationed at Southern Manatee Fire Rescue and took a blood test and was a perfect match. He called Baker and told him the news.
Brainna had the surgery about 2 months ago and is already getting ready to head back to work in a few weeks. Derek Foss just received the country’s highest honor for a firefighter for doing this. Yesterday he received the Chief’s Gallantry Star for Bravery. This award has only been given out once in the past.
Derek Foss said it was the right thing to do. Now, Brianne is able to do things with her family that she hasn’t been able to do in years because of her ailing health. She has more energy and she can no go back to being a nurse at Tampa General Hospital.
So, one first responder helping another first responder right here in our Tampa Community.
This story was so special to us we wanted to share it with you. Read more and check out the video from the two families that Fox13 did a report on.
Way to go!
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