If there’s one person in the world that Colton Lowe looks up to the most, it’s his father, Edward Lowe.
The pair share a great bond, with Edward having taught Colton everything he knows about cars—a hobby they both share to this day.
Colton, 23, was informed by his dad that he had Stage 4 liver failure in February. Colton was shocked to learn the news and immediately began to think of ways to help his best friend.
“I was like, I can donate right?” he said. “The [doctors]I asked, “How much do you weigh?” I said, does it matter? They said that you need to have a maximum 32-BMI to donate. I did the math and was at 30. I said yes.”
Colton was relieved that it was said, but things might have been different if this had all happened last year.
Colton weighed 478 lbs in April 2021. After spending months fixing up his father’s hot rod, Colton decided to have weight loss surgery.
After months of hard work, they finally got the car up and running in the fall and winter. However, when Colton went in for his first test drive, he encountered a snag—he couldn’t fit in the vehicle.
Colton has lost almost 300 pounds since last January.
“He was looking for longevity to make his life healthier and put himself in a better position,” said Dr. Jason Balette, weight loss surgeon at Memorial Hermann. “As the story was unfolding and being told, it quickly evolved for him to help someone else – his father.”
Colton felt a lot more confident after his weight loss. He is also feeling healthier and, most importantly, he has the ability to give his father the gift of life.
A few days before Father’s Day, the family learned that a perfect match had been found for Edward, so he may be getting a liver transplant soon.
But if the procedure doesn’t fall through, his son is on standby to donate a part of his liver as a living donor for his father.
Edward is sure happy for his son’s health. As for Colton, volunteering to be his dad’s liver donor was a no-brainer.
With all that has happened, one couldn’t help but think that Colton’s decision to undergo weight loss surgery last year wasn’t coincidental. Doing so gave him the chance to extend his dad’s life.
It is difficult to lose weight and maintain a healthy body size. But Colton has done it both. It is a stronger commitment because he is doing it for others as well as himself.
We wish Edward a speedy recovery from his liver transplant. Despite the circumstances, there’s no doubt he is one fortunate man to have such a loving son willing to sacrifice a part of himself to save his life.
To learn more about this story, click on the video below by KHOU 11.
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