Fort Worth firefighter Todd Brook’s dying wish was to find a kidney donor for his wife, Jennifer. He passed away June 5.
Before Fort Worth firefighter Todd Brook passed away on June 5, he publicly declared his dying wish: He wanted to find an organ donor for his wife, Jennifer Brook, who is in need of a kidney transplant. Jennifer has been living with polycystic kidney disease for a few years, and Todd had every intention of being her donor until he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in October. When he first received his diagnosis, doctors told the Brooks that Todd would only have “3-6 months to live.”
Despite receiving ongoing end-of-life care at their home in Glen Rose, Todd spoke with the media about his desire to find an organ donor for his wife, who he had been with for 16 years prior to his death. At the time, Todd said, “She’s 100 percent the most important thing in my life, and not being able to be there for her is killing me now.” He added, “I’m fighting for Miss Jenno to get a kidney,” making a heartbreaking plea that is all too familiar to the roughly 90,000 people across America who similarly need a kidney transplant.
Jennifer said, “I always knew the day would come when I would need a kidney transplant. I just didn’t realize it would come now — I know the outcome, but I just choose not to think about it. But I believe I’m very optimistic that I will get the kidney. I just wanted him here for that.”
While Todd will tragically not be around to see the couple’s wish come true, the Brook family is still hopeful they’ll be able to find a donor who can help save Jennifer’s life.
Todd was a firefighter in Fort Worth for over 30 years
Todd Brook served as a firefighter with the City of Fort Worth for over 30 years. The Fort Worth Fire Department announced the 59 year old’s death on June 5, writing in a statement that he was, “an exemplary firefighter and leader, but he also embodied everything that came with being a senior man in every aspect of his life — Todd was the fireman you wanted stepping off the truck with you when you rolled up and knew you were staring down a good one.”
The department’s post emphasized the importance of finding a kidney donor for Todd’s wife, Jennifer Brook, as Todd was proactively trying to do before his death. Living donors make up around 20-25% of all kidney transplants, which is crucial given that wait times for donor organs from deceased individuals are currently between three and seven years. WFAA notes its estimated that 13 people die every day while waiting to receive one of these lifesaving organ transplants.
How to help
For those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who want to help Todd Brook fulfill his last wish to find a kidney donor for his wife, Jennifer Brook, you may register through UT Southwestern’s Living-Donor Transplant program to see if you’re eligible and compatible. The confidential questionnaire is available in both English and Spanish, and results are instantaneous. Once you submit your form, UT Southwestern will let you know if you’re a good living donor candidate or not.
According to organdonor.gov, you must be at least 18 years of age or older and in good mental and physical health to be considered a “good” candidate for organ donation. Some transplant hospitals bump up the age requirement to 21 years of age or older, but the UT Southwestern form will take you through all of the specifics. You can donate one kidney to someone in need, like Jennifer, in your lifetime. These living donations tend to yield better results for those receiving the transplant and may even help people like Jennifer avoid kidney dialysis completely.
