This Cree pastor needed a kidney. His friend offered one of his own

Gordon Petawabano and Paul Racine have been friends and colleagues for over 20 years, serving the Cree community as pastors in Mistissini, Que. 

They share a passion of connecting with youth through faith and helped build a summer bible camp called Sonrise Camp.  

All that was put on pause when doctors first told Petawabano, who is Cree, that his kidney was failing. 

"They told me that you need to be on dialysis about two years ago … I had to step down from my job in Mistissini because … I had to be here in Montreal for treatment," Petawabano said. 

The last three years were spent with countless hospital visits and dialysis treatment three to four times a week. It was tiring and often depressing, Petawabano said. 

"I had a hard time accepting it first. I said: '[God] why are you doing this to me?" he said.

For Racine, watching his friend's health and his faith deteriorate was hard. 

"He went through a really dark period struggling to understand his own relationship with the Lord while this was happening," said Racine, who is from Ottawa. 

Petawabano was put on a waitlist for a kidney donation.

One night last summer during the Sonrise camp, Racine was unable to fall asleep knowing his friend was in the hospital instead of running the camp.

Racine stepped out from his cabin. 

"I prayed and thought about it. Then I went outside with my phone trying to find a signal for the internet," said Racine.

He Googled how old one can be to be a living donor. Racine, who is 67, discovered the age is 75.

After talking with his own wife and sons, Racine phoned Petawabano to tell him he wanted to donate his kidney.