By Nicole June

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The reach of social media and the kindness of strangers have changed a Clarksville man’s life forever.

Joshua Surovey, who was diagnosed with End State Renal Disease in 2010, now has a chance to make a better life for himself thanks to a donor who has agreed to give Joshua a kidney.

Joshua’s doctor put him on dialysis in 2012, and by May 2015 he qualified for an organ transplant. He lost a significant amount of weight to improve his health and created a Facebook page in his quest for a new kidney. He used money from a crowd sourcing campaign to purchase car decals, signs, and even a billboard on Riverside Dr. to get the word out to the public about his need.

After his story went public, droves of people came forward to find out if they could be potential donors for Joshua, but the hospital where he received care could not keep up with the demand.

“That was heartbreaking,” Joshua said.

He then moved to Vanderbilt Medical Center’s program, which is when he finally got the green light. A complete stranger named Renee Bruens messaged Joshua on Facebook about his situation, then got tested to see if she was a match.

Joshua said Renee passed all the tests. A transplant date has been set for April 5, 2018.

“We’ve been growing closer as friends and she’s the most awesome person I’ve ever met in my life,” Joshua said about Renee.

Now that a date has been set and the search for a kidney is over, Joshua said he is relieved and full of joy.

“When she called me and told me it was going to be on the 5th, I broke down with complete joy,” he said. “In the midst of straight pouring tears I would burst out in laughter. I just didn’t know how to control my emotions because I was so thrilled and excited that the day is finally coming to receive this transplant and to move on with life.”

This transplant will allow Joshua to end his dialysis treatments and he will no longer have to spend countless hours hooked up to machines. He’ll now be able to work toward his personal life goals of pursuing a career and starting a family.

Joshua is grateful for Renee’s selflessness and generosity and hopes to hit the ground running with his newfound opportunity to live a fuller life.

He also has a few words of advice for anyone going through a similar medical situation.

“Keep the faith and stay strong. It’s so easy to become depressed and look at the situation and let it dictate what you can and cannot do,” Joshua said. “But if you just hunker down and put some goals in front of you, you can accomplish these things one day at a time. It’s all doable, you just have to have faith in yourself.”

You can read more about Joshua’s journey on the A New Kidney for Joshua Facebook page.