A man from Grunthal is getting an incredible gift from his sister for Christmas.

Wes Doerksen is in need of a kidney transplant and his sister Shirley Unrau is a perfect match. Unrau says when she found out her brother needed a transplant, she decided to see if she could be a donor.

"I wanted to see if I could help my brother. I've been seeing him go through dialysis for the last year and saw him being very sick. I felt convicted and strongly in my heart that I needed to do that, so I did."

After a year of extensive testing, including her physical and psychological health, Unrau says she's been cleared to be a donor. She adds she has her family's support to go through with the surgery which takes place on Thursday, December 8.

Unrau says if her brother would have been put on a deceased donor list, he could be waiting nearly ten years because the waiting list is so long. She adds many people have no idea how many names are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and encourages people to discuss organ donation with their family and fill out their donor card.

Doerksen is married with three children but spends much of his time away, going for dialysis treatments in Winnipeg. After surgery, Doerksen says, "I won't be totally healthy but I won't have to go for dialysis anymore which takes a big chunk of my life. I have to go for dialysis three days a week for three and a half to five hours each time."

Doerksen says he is very thankful to his sister because she chose to be his donor, and is thankful to everyone who has helped him on this journey.  

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