Brother donates kidney then needs kidney transplant himself

James King and Harambee Purnell have more than a mother in common. They belong to the same fraternity, serve as ministers in the same church and both have undergone kidney transplants. In fact, King’s new kidney initially belonged to Purnell.

But Purnell’s kidney stopped working for King years ago, and now King is on the list to receive a second kidney.

Purnell, who is undergoing treatment for cancer that claimed his lone remaining kidney, also became the beneficiary of a transplant of his own.

While complications such as these are extraordinarily rare in the world of organ donation, the two brothers are sharing their story in the hope of raising awareness of the need for organs.