A friend, indeed.

Tom DeWitte and Matthew Vice are two fathers in their 30s who met at their children's school bus stop in Lakeland, Florida. With their daughters involved in many common activities, the two men saw a lot of each other and became close friends.

In September 2003, Vice came down with a case of the flu that he never seemed to completely recover from. He would feel better for awhile, then relapse. When he couldn't even keep down his Thanks-giving dinner, DeWitte urged him to seek medical help.

His doctor ordered some tests, and Vice returned to work. Several weeks later the physician told him to enter the hospital for more tests, where he was diagnosed with seriously diseased kidneys. Vice started on kidney dialysis three

times a week, and doctors told him that he needed a kidney transplant. The months of continued treatment were physically tiring for Vice, but the hours spent on the dialysis machine also gave him much time for self-reflection. During that period, DeWitte visited him often, even at the dialysis facility. DeWitte also started donating blood for his friend.

But Vice's condition worsened, and a suitable kidney donor had not become available. DeWitte became saddened by his friend's suffering and by the thought of Vice's young daughters growing up without their father. He explored the possibility of donating one of his kidneys to his ailing friend.

Matthew Vice had never even considered asking his friend to make such a sacrifice. But DeWitte, who is a nurse, was determined to help. In an interview with the Lakeland, Florida, Ledger, DeWitte's wife, Elba, who is also a nurse, admitted her fears concerning her husband's decision, saying, "The last thing I wanted him to do was give up a kidney." But Mrs. DeWitte's sense of compassion overruled her concerns. "I felt it was a very admirable thing to do," she told the Ledger. "I knew the risk involved but I knew Matthew deserved to live."

The transplant surgery was a success, and the families are closer than ever. Trudy Vice, who has been making home-cooked meals for the DeWitte family to show her appreciation, noted, "It was absolutely a true gift from the heart. We love [the DeWittes] like family."