‘What a gift’: Friend giving fellow Cornerstone member a kidney right before Christmas

Penny and Randy Deters stand in their home in Brownsdale. Randy will be having a kidney replaced and there will be a benifit for him at the Austin Eagles Club Dec. 5. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Penny and Randy Deters stand in their home in Brownsdale. Randy will be having a kidney replaced and there will be a benifit for him at the Austin Eagles Club Dec. 5. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

There are very few people that will be getting a gift as great as Randy Deters will this holiday season.

Deters, who lives in Brownsdale, is receiving a kidney from his friend and fellow Cornerstrone Church member Wayne Wurst and he couldn’t be happier.

Deters knew he needed a kidney in 2014, and Wurst was quick to step up and provide one for his friend of 10 years.

“I’m having the Wurst kidney, but it’ll be the best one,” Deters joked. “It was quite a relief.”

Wurst said he is excited to give his kidney to his friend. He came to the decision to be a donor after praying about the issue.

“I started praying about it and the more I prayed about it, the more I felt God leading me that way,” he said. “I made the decision and I felt a sense of peace and joy. It was the right move. I’m really looking forward to doing this. I can’t give my kidney to Randy fast enough.”

A benefit for Deters will be held at the Austin Eagles Club from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 5. That benefit just happens to be three days before Deters gets his new kidney.

When the benefit was set, it wasn’t known when Deters would receive his kidney, but things worked out so it could all happen before Christmas.

Deters is hoping that he will be home by Christmas Day to celebrate his new kidney. He said that Wurst’s donation has meant a lot to him.

“It really is humbling for someone to step up and give you their kidney,” Deters said. “We didn’t have anything to do with the fundraiser, that’s some of our good friends stepping up for us.”

Wurst said that Deters has a big heart for people and he’s glad to be able to give a much needed gift to him.

“He’s a good close friend where I can sit down and talk with him,” Wurst said. “He has a lot of wisdom and he has a great sense of humor.”

The Deters benefit will help raise funds for him as he is retired, and his wife, Penny, will be taking off some time from work to care for him after the transplant.

Penny said that the whole ordeal has been a tough one for the family, but she said that the benefit ending up being three days before the transplant is a sign of God’s impact.

“It’s been a little bit scary,” Penny said. “I was very relieved [when we found a donor]. What a gift, for somebody to be so selfless. It’s pretty incredible.”

The Deters benefit will include a pulled pork meal, a silent auction and a bake seal. Denny and the DC Drifters will play after the event from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Eagles Club.

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