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Selfless act recognized with President’s Life Saving Award
04/05/2024
It’s great to have friends. It’s great to have family. When you have friends that are like family, it is truly a treasure.
Entergy team member Chris Foster and his family have friends like that. The husbands are best friends. The wives are best friends and the four children have grown up together, much like siblings. The two families have been friends for 17 years, attending the same church and enjoying vacations and many other activities together.
While they enjoyed many wonderful times together, the Fosters also witnessed the toll that kidney disease was taking on the wife and mother. Throughout her life, the kidney disease progressed, eventually requiring dialysis. The Fosters saw how the disease was impacting their friend and her family.
Knowing that the disease would continue to progress without a kidney transplant, Foster and two other members of their church began the process to see if one of them might be a match to donate a kidney to their friend. The process includes physical, mental and financial evaluations. In addition, to put himself in the best position for the surgery if he were to be selected, he improved his diet and began exercising, losing approximately 30 pounds in the process.
After the transplant committee reviewed the results, a pre-operation examination was scheduled for late November. On December 11, 2023, Foster underwent surgery at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans to have one of his kidneys removed to be donated to his friend.
“Before the surgery, I was a hundred percent at peace,” said Foster. “I had no concerns whatsoever.”
After the four-hour surgery, he spent two nights in the hospital and remained in New Orleans a few more days as he began the recovery process. For the first two weeks, it was hard to move, but each day got a little easier as the healing process continued.
“The transplant centers are really good at what they do,” said Foster. “They take care of you. One person is dedicated to you and that person does an excellent job of leading you through the process.”
Foster has had no post-op complications but will have check-ups at 6 months, 12 months, and 2 years after the surgery. The friend who received the kidney is recovering well and her quality of her life has improved dramatically.
“It has been a blessing,” said Foster. “If I had another kidney available to donate, I would do it again.”
For this selfless act of heroism, Foster received the President’s Life Saving Award at a presentation held recently at the Electric Building.
“Chris demonstrated the true meaning of friendship with this extraordinarily generous act,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi. “He has given his friend the priceless gift of health and both families precious time to make more memories together.”
An Entergy team member for 24 years, Foster serves as the manager of regulatory affairs for Entergy Mississippi.
