Family isn’t always written in the language of DNA—unless, of course, you’re talking blood type. When Beth Perryman first noticed a billboard seeking a kidney donor, she couldn’t have imagined it would lead her down a path that would not only change her life, but gently reshape her understanding of what it truly means to be family.
A native of Winston-Salem, Beth moved to Charlotte after graduating from Appalachian State University and settled in Lake Norman with her husband Drew in the early ’90s where they raised two children. Beth now works part-time and stays active with weight training, walking, and book clubs. She also volunteers on the Guest Experience team at Love Lake Norman Church.
Beth recalls the moment she saw the billboard along the side of the road: “The first time I noticed it, I thought to myself, ‘I am an organ donor’ but the next time I passed it, I looked closer and realized they needed a living donor … and specifically someone with type O blood.”
The face on the billboard, Wayne, stayed with her. “He has such a warm and welcoming smile,” she says. “I would see it walking my dogs, driving to work, it just kept popping up.” After some reflection and prayer, Beth did something few would have the courage to do. She reached out to see if she might be a match.
Though she had no personal connection to kidney disease, something about this request pulled at her heart. “I remembered praying in years past about decisions and asking God for a billboard,” she laughs. “Well, there it was.”
Not yet sure it could actually happen, Beth didn’t tell many people at first, but her family was onboard from the get-go, supporting her every step of the way. “My kids and husband were great. I tried to stay healthy and active going into surgery, and we all worked together as a family toward that end.”
Beth and Wayne met before the procedure to get to know one another, and they both knew it was a perfect match—in more ways than one! “We went to dinner and had so much in common,” she shares. “We just laughed and laughed. The restaurant was closing, and we realized we had talked the night away.”
The surgeries were a success and recovery—bolstered by community and family support—went smoothly for them both. On surgery day, they were placed across the hall from each other. “I was so relieved to hear he was doing well,” Beth smiles. “Our families met, and it felt like something much bigger than all of us.”
Beth’s story reminds us that the most powerful family ties aren’t always written in our genes, but in our choices. Sometimes it’s a single selfless act—a gift of life that creates a ripple of love, hope, and healing that stretches far beyond biology. For what is “Family” if it’s not about showing up, giving freely, and loving without condition.
To learn more about how you can become someone’s perfect match, visit www.organdonor.gov.
