Finding an organ donor can be a challenging and lengthy process for the 100,000 Americans awaiting a kidney transplant. It is often difficult to find a close match among family members, let alone friends and neighbors. However, in a remarkable turn of events, a Nissan employee with kidney failure found his perfect match at work – his best friend.

In 2017, Josh Bredeson, a dealer technician at Landers McClarty Nissan in Huntsville, Alabama, initially believed he had the flu. However, a visit to urgent care revealed that he was actually suffering from kidney failure at the age of 39. Despite his diagnosis, Bredeson went on to win the US portion of the 2018 Nissan International Service Technical Excellence Contest (NISTEC), making him the highest-ranked dealer tech in the country. This achievement led to a promotion in 2021, and he began working at the dealer technical support center at the Nissan Smyrna Manufacturing Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

By a stroke of luck, Bredeson’s best friend, Josh Shaffer, also worked as a data analyst at the Smyrna plant. The plant previously produced the 720 pickup and currently manufactures the popular Rogue and Pathfinder models. Shaffer took on this role shortly after Bredeson’s promotion.

Although Bredeson’s new desk job was less physically demanding than his previous position, his kidney disease continued to progress. By March 2022, his kidneys were functioning at only 20 percent, and he was placed on the transplant list. In the first month, eight close friends and family members underwent blood tests to determine if they were a match.

Among the potential donors was Shaffer, who, along with the others, underwent a series of tests at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. These tests included ultrasounds, X-rays, a CT scan, an EKG, and a four-hour blood draw. The results determined that Shaffer was the best candidate to donate a kidney, and he immediately agreed to do so.

On January 4, 2023, both Shaffer and Bredeson arrived at the Vanderbilt Medical Center for the life-saving surgery. Shaffer went first to have one of his kidneys removed and prepared for transplantation. Two hours later, Bredeson had his kidney transplant. Both operations were successful, and Shaffer was discharged two days later, followed by Bredeson a day after.

The transplant was a success, and six months later, Shaffer was doing well while Bredeson’s kidney function had improved to 70 percent with no signs of rejection or damage. The two individuals are using their experience to shed light on the estimated 37 million Americans with kidney disease, of whom 90 percent may be unaware of their condition.

“Hopefully, this is a story that will reach someone who may be suffering but doesn’t know why,” Bredeson said. “Maybe this will inspire someone to get checked or become a donor.”