RIVERVIEW, Fla — Back in August, we introduced you to Randall Smith, who, at 20, had found his dream car—a 2002 Monte Carlo called "Black Steel."
But despite that accomplishment, at the time, he was still looking to achieve one more thing—finding a kidney donor after years of progressive organ deterioration.
We posted his story hoping for the best.
And a day later, Carlos Holguin says he saw it—well, more specifically, he saw a picture of "Black Steel" with the article about Randall.
"I was just scrolling through my phone looking at some different articles and I saw a picture of this car," he said, "It was black and it was exactly the car that I always wanted when I was younger. I clicked on it just because of the car and started reading the story and one thing led to the other and once I read the story, it just tugged on some heartstrings."
The story tugged on his heartstrings so much that a few days later, he went and got tested and found out he was a match for Randall.
Randall says he was driving home when he got the news in September.
"I was just overwhelmed, like I didn't really know what to say, but thank you. This is really a turning point. And I just want to say thank you again because it helped me out a lot," he said.
The two went into surgery on November 15th and they were both home in time for Thanksgiving.
"I mean, words can't say thank you enough for what you did, you gave him a second chance at life," said Randall's mother, Rita Smith.
Carlos says in the long run, it was a decision he would have regretted not making—even for a perfect stranger.
"What if I go through life and I'm an old, old man and none of my families ever needed anything? Will I feel regret for not having the courage to help somebody else?" he said.
It's a gift, that gives Randall a new lease on life now that he no longer has to do dialysis at night. And naturally, his answer came full circle, back to cars.
"What do we have on the schedule? What's coming up? Because you said, you wanted to travel. No more dialysis, right?" asked ABC Action News reporter Rochelle Alleyne.
"Yeah, um. Germany," Randall laughed.
"He just wants to go on the Autobahn [highway]," Rita laughed.
Rita, Randall, Carlos, and his wife Brandi say throughout the process, they realized that the two families lived about 15 minutes apart, and yet, Brandi and Carlos never ran into the Smiths, who were actively posting about Randall's need for a donor. They even had a magnet made for their car!
The group thanked ABC Action News and ABC Action News reporter Rochelle Alleyne for posting the original story.
"If it wouldn't have been for her article, we may not have seen it, even though we live that close together. So she really made a big difference by finding that number and contacting you [the Smiths] and making that the article, to begin with. She was a huge part of that; I really hope she understands that," said Brandi Suco, Carlos' wife.
Rita says she hopes this story encourages more people, especially minorities—who often lack donors, to get tested and donate organs.
But in the meantime, she adds that she'll be busying herself with planning a joint birthday party for Randall and Carlos, who also share the same birthdate—January 25th.
