The social networking site Facebook brought together a former Lee University professor and his student for a life-saving operation.
God works in strange and mysterious ways… and recently, even on FaceBook.
Dr. Bill George, a fifty-year credentialed minister with the Church of God has served faithfully as a pastor, teacher, evangelist, educator and editor. Currently, Dr. George is Coordinator of Education for the Church of God World Missions Department. Over the last two years, Dr. George’s kidneys were failing to the point where he was receiving dialysis three times a week.
During his tenure as a professor at Lee University, Dr. Bill George touched the lives of many people. One of his former students, Phil Hoover is now living in Chicago, and keeps in touch with fellow Lee alumni and friends, including the social network, Facebook. Phil began connecting with friends on Face book and a miracle happened.
Here’s the story from Phil’s perspective…
Phil Hoover, kidney donor
On the Tuesday before Easter of this year, I was surfing the internet. I had only been on Face Book for two days, so I was still “figuring it out.”
Dr. Fred Garmon, director of People for Care and Learning in Cleveland, Tenn., had put up an announcement, “Bill George Needs a Kidney Transplant.” When I saw it I immediately started praying, “Lord, there has to be a kidney somewhere in this large family of God…this large family of yours, Lord, please let someone be a matchAlmost immediately, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, very clearly: “You are a match.” Without hesitation, I said “yes, I’ll do it.” I found Fred’s contact information, and sent him a message via Face Book…He replied shortly thereafter, telling me to contact Dr. George directly.
Bill George, kidney recipient
I sent Bill a message, and then called him at his office and he emailed me the information. I called the UAB (University of Alabama Birmingham) Renal Transplant Center and told them I was interested in being a donor for Bill George. She did a quick telephone interview with me and took the information to the Transplant Committee and then called me the next day. A few days later I received a “blood sample kit” which with the assistance of my physician was completed and overnighted to UAB. I called Bill as I was leaving my doctor’s office, and told him we would “wait and see what the Lord has for us in all of this.” I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be a match…Bill wasn’t so sure.
On May 19 I received a call from the transplant center, telling me, “Mr. Hoover, you are a suitable donor…” I was elated and thrilled. So thrilled, that as I was still on the phone with Birmingham, I got Bill on the phone to say, “I’m a match…I’m a MATCH…” He said, “Phil that is a terrible joke…” I assured him that I wasn’t joking.
Of course, I had to make the announcement on Face Book…since this was the place where everything started to begin with. On June 10, I did a short interview with Chris Fabry (Moody Broadcasting Network) on his live show, “Chris Fabry Live!” telling of what the Lord was doing in this situation.
That same day I flew to Birmingham for tests and evaluations and was given pretty much a clean bill of health. I flew back to Chicago the next day where as soon as I got back to my office, the telephone was ringing…it was the Living Donor Coordinator at UAB telling me that we had a couple of medical issues. A blood strain had shown up positive for a previous disease in my system, so it was treated over the next three weeks with shots.
The Transplant team met in late July, and decided I needed to lose 10 pounds because it placed my glucose tolerance test one point out of range. I was discouraged, but my pastor told me this was the hand of God, and that I should be obedient…lose the weight, and be patient. After all, it was GOD who had started this whole series of events, and I shouldn’t get ahead of Him.
Eight weeks later, after exercise and some diet changes, I had lost 11 pounds. On Friday, October 2, I went to the hospital to take the glucose test one last time. About three hours after I left the hospital, my doctors’ office called me, saying the results were perfect. These results were sent to Birmingham the same day. The surgical team met and gave me full, final clearance to donate my left kidney to Dr Bill George.
The surgery was scheduled for Wednesday, October 28 at UAB Hospital. Bill George and I appeared on Chris Fabry Live! (www.chrisfabrylive.org) on Moody Broadcasting on Monday, October 26. We talked about “our stories”. Pastor Arthur Guice from Spirit of Liberty Church of God in Markham, Illinois joined us as well. Pastor Guice recently had a heart and kidney transplant at the University of Chicago Hospital.
To God be the glory, great things He has done. The surgery was a success. Both Dr. George and I are doing very well. When asked if our story can be told Dr. George answered… “If our story of Faith and Face Book can help someone else receive a transplant or show how organ donation can save the lives of others, then tell our story!”
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As of Friday, November 6, Phil was preparing to fly home to Chicago after a better than expected recovery. Bill George was continuing his recuperation in Birmingham. All vital signs are ahead of schedule and where they should be at this time. He will remain hospitalized the required three weeks, anticipating a November 20 release to return home to Cleveland, Tennessee.