The Nebraska Wesleyan University maintenance staff is some of the earliest to arrive on campus every day.
They have classrooms and residence halls to clean, events to set up for to welcome the university鈥檚 newest visitors, and snow to scoop on the coldest days.
They get to know each other well, almost like family. Which isn鈥檛 surprising considering there aren鈥檛 too many others around to talk to at 5 a.m.
On one of those early mornings Brian Benes learned about fellow co-worker Joel Moore鈥檚 personal challenges. Moore鈥檚 wife, Lori, had been suffering from kidney disease for years and was on the list for a kidney donation. So far, no match.
Living with kidney disease, Lori鈥檚 days were dictated by dialysis. She would work full time, come home for dinner, and then immediately get hooked up to the machine that would clean her blood of toxins, a process which took almost three hours, five times a week for three and a half years. While connected to the dialysis machine, Lori couldn鈥檛 move from a sitting position or else she might faint or set off an alarm.
Dialysis affected their lives in many ways especially the time commitment and difficulties of planning around the dialysis. There were many other less apparent side effects too such as the inability to go on a vacation. The Moores tried once, but had trouble getting their airline to allow the dialysis machine on the plane, even with a doctor鈥檚 note.
As soon as he heard of the Moore鈥檚 troubles, Benes felt he had to do something.
鈥淚 talked to Joel and he told me about Lori and her situation,鈥 said Benes. 鈥淏asically, I had an immediate desire to get tested.鈥
He did just that. The entire screening process lasted from late October to early January, involved several psychological and medical tests, and lots of blood draws for both Lori and Benes. After the final test, Benes was declared a match.
鈥淭hey really dot the i鈥檚 and cross their t鈥檚 to make sure everything鈥檚 going to be successful,鈥 Benes said.
They both went in for surgery on May 29, and three months later, both Lori and Benes are completely recovered.
With the new kidney, there鈥檚 no need for dialysis, although Lori still takes nearly 30 pills each day. Still, compared to the challenges of her life before, this change is a blessing, she said.
One would think that Benes鈥 donation would change his relationship with the Moores. However, apart from including Lori in his and Joel鈥檚 interactions more often, Benes says this isn鈥檛 the case.
鈥淲e were friends before,鈥 he said.
鈥淎nd we still will be,鈥 Joel added.
Throughout the surgery and recovery process, Benes and the Moores received countless well wishes from the Wesleyan community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really nice feeling to have,鈥 Lori said. 鈥淚t brightened my day, getting a card and knowing someone cares.鈥
Benes agreed.
鈥淚 would say a lot of job atmospheres don鈥檛 have this much of a family feeling,鈥 he said. 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 waking up at 5 a.m. that bonds people, but people care about you at Nebraska Wesleyan. I feel that personally, and I think others can feel it in other situations.鈥
鈥淛ust being able to do something big for someone else that doesn鈥檛 impact your life in a drastic negative way鈥 why would I not do that?鈥 Benes continued.
Lori is quick to reinforce the sentiment.
鈥淣o gift is too small to change someone鈥檚 life for the better, whether it鈥檚 donating blood, plasma, or an organ,鈥 she said.