Article by Anna Rogers | Photos by Arianna Skoog

At fifteen years old, Ty Nelson was trying out for the high school swim team and went to the doctor for a sports physical. Instead of the routine green light he anticipated, Ty was diagnosed with kidney disease. The diagnosis came with a world of unknowns. What would life be like in his teens and into adulthood? How would things change as he aged? Would his kidneys be enough to get him through? 

Teen Ty had no idea what life had in store for him, and he never could have imagined the miracle that would forever intertwine two lives through selfless generosity.

YEARS OF UNCERTAINTY

Since that fateful day at fifteen, Ty Nelson was committed to maintaining his kidney function. But ten years ago, his overall kidney function dropped drastically. “Ty didn’t want to be sick or let people know he was sick,” his wife, Mendy, says. “He loves cycling and triathlons. Someone with his lab work shouldn’t have been functioning so well!”

He tried everything he could to keep his body functioning at peak performance, including major diet overhauls. He stopped going out to dinner and learned to read nutrition labels meticulously. He had been getting lab work done every three months for 25 years and was faithful with all his appointments and medication.

Despite the effort, things started to get even worse. Just two years ago, his GFR number dipped to a 15. In Layman's terms, his kidneys were functioning at about 15%. At this stage, he could be put on a kidney transplant list with the hope of skipping dialysis, which is extremely hard on the body.

ON THE LIST

Within two to three weeks of getting this news that GFR levels had dipped to 15, Ty met with a team of doctors from Denver in Billings to create a plan. Ty was placed on the wait list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. But the wait time for a deceased kidney was three to five years, which would likely mean dialysis. The only way to avoid this route was to have a live kidney donor.

“Mendy was making all these connections to try and find someone,” Ty says. “I felt like – I’m not going to ask someone for a kidney.” But in September 2023, Mendy’s brother and wife added Ty’s need to a church prayer list. A little over a month later, their sister-in-law said, “A woman has come forward, may I give her your phone number?”

A PERFECT MATCH

Sarah Forster went to the same church as Mendy’s brother in Gillette, Wyoming. Like Ty, Sarah loves to swim and bicycle, participating in triathlons. “She was like a female version of Ty,” Mendy says. It turned out they had even more than hobbies in common.

Ty had been through thorough testing for months – organ examinations, psychological evaluations, and more – and finished up in March 2024. Meanwhile, Sarah got on the kidney registry to be evaluated. She was a perfect match to donate her kidney to Ty.

In June 2024, Sarah was cleared as Ty’s donor, and the surgery date was set for August.

RECOVERY & LASTING CONNECTIONS

When Ty went in for the transplant, his GFR number had dropped to 9. The surgery in Denver was a success, and Ty’s body accepted the kidney.

“Ty is an overachiever,” says Mendy. “He did everything they asked and beyond for his recovery.” This included living in Denver for four to five weeks with labs every other day for six to eight weeks. About eight months after surgery, Ty’s GFR level was up to 47. He has a compromised immune system from the anti-rejection medication, which he will have to take for the rest of his life, but he is generally feeling healthy and well. There is still a little uncertainty about his body accepting the kidney long-term, but at around a year post-surgery (August 2025), they can rest a little easier.

From Mendy’s perspective, Ty had spent so many years trying to be positive and stay strong for their daughter, and once he didn’t have to do that anymore post-surgery, he just “crashed.” Their family couldn’t believe everything was so incredibly seamless – the prayer request, this woman, her being a match.

Sarah had no complications and a smooth recovery. She dealt with more sickness than usual over the winter due to a compromised immune system, but says, “I’m back to the gym; my labs are good… I would do it all again if I had it to do over.”

“It was really cool seeing God working in my life in that way,” Sarah says of the donation process. “The fact that we knew someone in common, I just felt God leading me to do it. God gave me such a sense of peace in my mind and in my heart and in my spirit to go ahead and pursue it.”

Sarah and Ty stay in contact and give updates on bloodwork. Sarah feels she will always have a super cool connection to their family, even closer than friends. “Part of me is living up there in Billings!” she says. She encourages others to see if they are a candidate to be a donor to someone in need.

The Nelsons struggle to find the words to describe what Sarah’s sacrifice means to them. “How do you express your gratitude for such an act? Thank you is not enough. There are no words that you can find. She did it so freely and with so much humility.” A forever bond between these families can only come through a selfless act like this.

Originally printed in the June 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

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