Jon Montgomery was on the waiting list for liver and kidney transplants when his two sons learned they could become living donors. Together they saved their father’s life.
“I always thank them,” Jon Montgomery, 55, of East Liverpool, Ohio, tells PEOPLE. “It’s just an incredible blessing.”
This Thanksgiving, the family is grateful to be able to spend the holidays together — and they’re sharing their story in hopes of inspiring others to become organ donors.
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The family learned Montgomery’s liver and kidney were failing two years ago when he lost 75 pounds without trying.
“We panicked,” says dad, the owner of a dental laboratory. “How do you survive when two of your organs fail? It was just a terrible time.”
Jon Montgomery with his wife Amy and their children.
Courtesy of Jon Montgomery
Montgomery was placed on the deceased transplant donor list as his health continued to decline.
While he was in the hospital, his family learned about the possibility of a transplant from a living donor. His son Jonathan immediately volunteered to donate part of his liver, while another son Christopher volunteered to give his dad a kidney.
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Both brothers point out that dad didn’t ask them for anything – they wanted to become donors.
“There was no doubt,” Christopher, a 24-year-old dental student at the University of Pittsburgh. “I want to keep him as long as I can…I want him to know my children. I couldn’t imagine life without him.”
Both brothers are grateful to have brought their father together.
“My dad is one of my best friends,” adds Jonathan, 25, who is pursuing a doctorate in biochemistry at Ohio State University. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s okay, because I know he’d do the same for us.”
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On August 1, a life-saving double transplant was performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“They are a very remarkable family,” says Dr. Abhinav Humar, chief of transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “A very close-knit family where the sons are clearly willing to do anything for their father.”
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Jon Montgomery and Sons.
Courtesy of Jon Montgomery
After the transplant, Montgomery had no words to thank his sons. “All I could do was hug them,” he says.
“My two boys, they sacrificed so much to do this for me, but two weeks later, three weeks later, they’re living their lives again,” he adds, praising their “amazing gift.”
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Jon Montgomery and family.
Courtesy of Jon Montgomery
His sons hope others will sign up to be living donors.
“You took a few weeks of your life to change someone else’s? It pays off every time,” says Jonathan. “Before we knew we could donate, things were very dark. We were afraid, we didn’t know what would happen.”
“Since the surgery, when I look at my dad and see the smile on his face, it’s so genuine. You can tell he’s so happy now,” adds the 25-year-old. “He’s back.”
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