Is anyone ready for a happy story? How about one that could increase your faith not only in God but also in people? Or a story about winning a grand prize or a whole enchilada!
I wrote a column titled “Save Those Who Saved Us” in June 2025. I hope you read it. The column begins with our friends and neighbors, Hugh and Sabrina Macdonald. Hugh is a West Point graduate who has served his country honorably.
Hugh’s first marriage resulted in one son and two daughters. After his divorce, he married Sabrina nineteen years ago. Upon retiring, this happy couple moved around the corner from us. Hugh would join my husband and others on the golf course to try to conquer a game that is nearly impossible to do. But silly boys and girls keep playing because they love the game.
It felt as if life changed overnight when Hugh developed kidney disease. Within just a few months, dialysis became a routine three times a week. Hope seemed distant, but Hugh remained positive. However, he needed a transplant to continue enjoying the game of life. The silly golfers turned into cheerleaders and prayer warriors, offering their support. All I knew to do was document his story.
When I interviewed Sabrina and Hugh last June before starting his story, he emphasized that the column should focus on other veterans who need assistance. This approach is essential because veterans should always be prioritized for help, deserving of support first, and never forgotten. It is un-American not to honor and love our service members.
Kidney disease is 34% more common among veterans than in the general population. Currently, over 1800 soldiers are waiting for a donor to save them, but only 160 will receive a transplant.
DOVE (Donor Outreach for Veterans) was established in 2020 by Sharyn Kreitzer. DOVE’s mission is to connect potential living kidney donors with the veterans in need of a transplant.
Honestly, I was uncertain about how much longer Sabrina would have Hugh due to his age and the fact that none of his family members were suitable matches for a transplant. After the story was published, people reached out to DOVE. Unfortunately, none of the participants were a match for Hugh, but maybe another soldier found a donor.
“You know, Lynn, this was never about me. This was for my fellow comrades,” Hugh said, comforting me with his ever-present joyful smile.
One Sunday, God went to the Macdonald’s church and sat in a pew beside a lovely young woman. After listening to part of the sermon, the Good Lord touched the kind woman next to Him.
She was a nurse, married, and probably had invisible wings. Both she and her husband were devoted to rescuing animals. When she felt the Lord’s touch, she knew what she had to do. After contacting DOVE and undergoing testing, she was found to be a perfect match to donate her 40-year-old kidney to a humble and kind Army veteran.
The operation was successful when it was finally performed in October. Recently, Hugh and Sabrina began returning to an everyday life, which is a good thing and just in time.
After his transplant, traveling to football games by plane was prohibited due to concerns about germs. Thankfully, television provides a wonderful solution, allowing Hugh to watch his son on the sidelines during NFL games. Hugh Macdonald’s son, Mike Macdonald, the second youngest head coach in the NFL, is leading the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
We had dinner with Hugh and Sabrina the other night. As I listened to their stories of triumphs, the discipline of a son who loves his father, and the faith and strength that envelop their family, I couldn’t help but reflect on the hopelessness we experienced less than a year ago.
Who would have thought at that time that God would go to church and profoundly bless so many? It wasn’t luck that the nurse was a match, nor luck that will put Hugh and Sabrina in the coach’s box at the Super Bowl. And, it wasn’t luck that a lady founded DOVE for our beloved Veterans.
It was purely God’s work.
As I write this, I have no idea who will win the Super Bowl, but I do know who the victors are.
When I asked Hugh if I could write a follow-up story, he agreed. However, the veteran expressed, “Let the column not be about me, but for my fellow comrades who are waiting to be saved by a donor.”
Now, do you feel like dancing? Do you have a little more faith than you did a few minutes ago? Happiness and goodness are built on empathetic hearts and selfless intentions. It takes tremendous faith and love to make our world a better place. That’s the only way we’ll reach the Super Bowl in the sky.
To all the veterans out there: never give up… never.
For more information on how you can help a veteran, contact DOVE: [email protected] or call 551-233-1611
