Pima Co. Sheriff's Office employee donates kidney to co-worker

PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KSAZ) -- A Pima County Sheriff's Office employee has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, after a fellow co-worker and friend gave him a life-saving gift.

Without a second thought, the friend donated a kidney. Surgery took place a month ago, and both are doing great.

Jim Anderson was forced to retire from his position within the Pima County Detention Center in 2010, after working there for 20 years, because of complications with his diabetes. After that, Anderson's health declined, and he later went into kidney failure. That's where Anderson's friend, Chady Avery, came into play. Anderson just so happened to see a comment on Facebook.

"It was more just kind of an off-hand comment, and he picked up on it," said Anderson.

"I knew his health wasn't that great, but I didn't know he needed a kidney so, it was, 'OK, I'm gonna find out,'" said Avery.

Avery was a match.

"It was an easy decision," said Avery. "It was literally just five minutes for me to think about it, and I've never looked back at it. It was always we're doing this, and this is what we're going to do."

"It was just such an incredible, incredible uplift," said Anderson. "You know, the lord never gifted me with a brother, but I feel like I've got a brother by blood now."

This is the 4th time someone within the Pima County Sheriff's Office has performed a living donation.

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