I am alive because of a Lowe’s employee

Max Henson Updated
Max Henson

Staff Writer

Nov 25, 2020

The email was sent to Lowe’s President and Chief Executive Officer Marvin Ellison at 5:28 p.m. on September 2.

The subject line? “I am alive because of a Lowe’s employee.”

That’s a surefire way to pique anyone’s interest, and Ellison was amazed as he read the email crafted by Kevin Thompson, an associate at store 2310 in Machesney Park, Illinois.

This is Kevin’s story – a story of one associate caring for another with a heavy heart and everything on the line.

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In the summer of 2019, Kevin, now 61, was diagnosed with liver cancer. He underwent treatment but it was eventually determined that he needed a transplant.

“I was put on a transplant list with the hopes of finding a donor, although they didn’t offer much hope as they expected the aggressive cancer and liver failure would take me in about six months,” Kevin explained. “Finding a suitable donor most often takes longer than that.”

Still, Kevin remained in good spirits. His Lowe’s colleagues were informed about his situation and he jokingly referred to himself as “the liver guy.”

“Life hits you hard sometimes, and then what are you going to do? You just got to deal with it and roll through it,” Kevin said.

Kevin works in the paint section, and he would often cross paths with Nick Arduino, a fellow associate who works in hardware/tools.

“Kevin is just a really nice man,” Nick said. “I'd see him around in the store as we were helping customers, or if we were helping each other or helping another associate out. And Lowe's motto, customers are our top priority. A lot of times, we would work together to make it happen.”

They didn’t know each other that well on a personal level prior to Kevin’s diagnosis, but after, Nick regularly checked in on Kevin to see how he was holding up.

“He and I had talked about it quite a bit, and that's really all we knew about each other. But we found that we could really just talk to each other, and he would ask me questions,” Kevin said. “And he kept saying, ‘Oh, I really think you're going to beat this.’”

 

“There is a man that I work with,” Nick told the doctors. “His name is Kevin Thompson. Let me get a hold of him. I asked my mom and she's like, ‘Absolutely. If he can use it, let's do it.’”

Kevin, stunned by this development, promptly provided his information.

“He's losing his brother. He's there while his brother is dying,” Kevin said. “And from what I know of that that family, the three brothers are very, very close knit. And while all this is going on, Nick thinks of me.”

Then it was a waiting game to see if the liver was a match.

Two days later, Kevin’s phone rang. He was told to get in the car and head to Loyola University Medical Center. The liver was a perfect match. A belated Christmas miracle, if you will.

“On December 29, I had a new liver,” Kevin said. “The liver that was removed from me was biopsied and examined closely, finding the tumor only partially destroyed, and three other undetected tumors. I would be dead today without Nick’s offer of donation… Nick and his brother are the reason I am alive today.”

As Nick put it: “It was meant to be.”

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Following surgery, Kevin recovered quickly, and he was back at work by the end of May.

He has asked Nick how he can possibly repay his family, to which Nick shakes his head and smiles

“He does not owe our family anything. We just want him to live his life. That’s all I ask. He just owes that to himself,” Nick said. “We’ll always have that bond. I mean, he has a part of my brother inside him.”

Matthew’s memory and legacy lives on with Kevin – and three others. That’s right, Matthew donated four organs through The Gift of Hope.

“We take a very high pride for what my brother was able to do,” Nick said, “For one, he signed up to be an organ donor, which none of us knew that he was until they told us. We take the pride that he was able to save these people in a way and do stuff for somebody even after the fact that he wasn't alive anymore. He was still able to do good.”

Kevin embodies the good Matthew was able to do.

And through his email to Ellison, he was able to get the ball rolling for some very well-deserved recognition.

On November 18, Nick was presented with a Lowe’s Angel Award in celebration of the liver donation that saved Kevin’s life.

“I didn't know that this got this far up the chain of command and through the company,” Nick said.

Kevin made sure of that. In his mind and in his heart, it was the least he could do.

“That's what prompted me to send an email directly to Marvin, just because I wanted this so much for Nick,” Kevin said. “He is kind of a timid person. He's not looking for the attention. I think he likes to stay out of the spotlight, but he deserves this.

“I’m grateful for this job and for Nick. It's family. More than any other company, Lowe's is family.”