John and Mary Ellen Patterson had four children. Two of the children, John Jr. and Laura, were perfectly healthy. The other two children, Elizabeth and Will were born with a genetic disorder known as cystinosis, which often leads to loss of kidney function. At 16, Elizabeth suffered kidney failure and underwent a successful transplant from an anonymous, deceased donor. (Her father, John, had wanted to donate a kidney, but testing had ruled him out.)

A short time later, John died suddenly from a massive heart attack. John Jr., 15 at the time, felt a new responsibility take shape in his life. As he watched Will go through dialysis—and having seen the great struggle his sister went through—John thought to himself, If I can change this in any way possible, I will.

When John Jr. turned 18, his opportunity came. He was tested to see if he was a transplant match for his brother Will, and he was. John Jr. told his mother at the time, "I watched you take care of Elizabeth and Will my whole life, and I always wanted to do something, and now's my chance."

The surgery was a success. Will earned a 4.0 grade point average for his second semester, despite having to play catch-up the whole year. He spends his days engaged in care-free fun with his friends. "Let's call it what it is," Mary Ellen says of John Jr.'s decision. "It was a huge sacrifice that gave his brother his life back. And I think John's life will be better because of the gift he gave."