Police officer stays on duty while searching for kidney donor

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - A police officer in Alabama is on a quest to find a kidney donor, and he’s got a lot of support in his journey.

“I really do enjoy being a police officer, you get to meet so many different people,” Cpl. Jerry Hughes-Karrh said.

Hughes-Karrh has been with the Vestavia Hills Police Department for five years. He’s been in law enforcement for 20, and for the last two years, he’s been searching for a kidney donor after being diagnosed with renal failure.

“I was scared that they were going to tell me that this career that I’ve done for 20 years, that they were going to tell me, you know, you’re gonna have to quit or we’re gonna have to fire you, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.

Vestavia Hills PD did the opposite: Hughes-Karrh says they’ve done anything and everything to accommodate him as he searches for a match. For a department that is no stranger to loss, rallying around him is more important now than ever.

“Chief Rary passed away last month, and one of the things he instilled in us many years ago is that we are a family and a family first, and we take care of our own police officers and their extended family. And that’s one of the legacies he’s left behind for us,” says Captain Keith Ware. “Jerry is a part of our family and he’s very important to us.”

“Just helping him out even on light duty, they’ve been amazing, helping me reach out,” says Danielle Hughes, Hughes-Karrh’s daughter.

Danielle Hughes is at the forefront of the search for a donor for her dad, reaching out across the area and posting on social media.

“The absolute world,” she said of her dad. “He’s amazing.”

Hughes-Karrh still needs a kidney, but with his two families aiding in the search, he’s certainly in no short supply of support.

Anyone interested in finding out whether they could be a match, there are a couple of ways to do so, through Vanderbilt and through UAB.

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