A San Antonio man has displayed an extraordinary act of familial love by donating not just one, but two vital organs to his cousins in need, Jalen Crimiel has given a part of himself to help his family members battle serious health conditions; his actions, rare and lifesaving, are a beacon of hope to those awaiting organ transplants, roughly half his liver went to one cousin, TJ Taylor, in 2022, and, more recently, he donated a kidney to another cousin, Austin Jackson, seven weeks ago.
According to KENS5, Crimiel's most recent medical procedure, a kidney transplant for cousin Jackson, was done after the initial family member who stepped forward was unable to donate due to unforeseen medical reasons Jackson, who suffered from chronic heart failure and kidney failure felt immense relief post-surgery, stating, "Things are better now that I don’t have to hook up to the machine anymore."
When another cousin faced her inability to donate, Crimiel didn't hesitate to step in, commenting in an interview obtained by KENS5, “Once I knew that I was a match, we went through all the tests and they were able to give me the go ahead, and then we moved forward." These bold decisions have borne fruit, with Crimiel's liver donation to his cousin 'TJ' two years ago resulting in a significant improvement in Taylor's quality of life. He describes the time before the transplant as "constant pain" and now post-surgery, he celebrates the chance to live life.
Crimiel's contributions go beyond the physical as "I’m good so things worked out as best as you could hope for," he told KENS5, expressing satisfaction in seeing his cousins' health restored, reflecting on the successful outcomes and his ability to heal from the donation procedures, he said, “Ultimately, I’m just glad that everything was ok, they’re feeling better."
In a gesture to aid the family's recovery further, a GoFundMe page has been established, with details and support options available for those who wish to contribute to the cousins' journey back to full health.
