Chef Yono Purnomo's kidney donor comes forward to encourage more donations

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On a clear Tuesday morning in mid-October, local chef Yono Purnomo was in good spirits as his doorbell rang at his Albany home. "Good morning! Wow, you look so fresh!" exclaimed the retired restaurant owner as a special guest entered his home.

Yono embraced his live angel donor, Jacques Goulet, for the first time since transplant day six months ago at New York's Presbyterian Hospital.

Goulet, who lives in Rensselaer County and works for the state, explained, "I was going to donate a kidney regardless. If it matched with Yono, great! If not, someone else was going to get it."

Goulet had no prior relationship with Purnomos, but he did go to the same high school as Purnomo's son, Dominick. He first heard of Yono's end stage renal diagnosis and desperate search for a kidney through the Facebook group Purnomo's family had created for him as a last resort.

"When I first read it, I was like 'oh man, I hope they find somebody that can donate a kidney,'" Goulet recalled. "And then I said, 'well, what does this entail? And why can't I be that person?'"

That simple thought led to a selfless, lifesaving donation. After rounds of rigorous testing, Goulet found out he was a match for Yono.

This past April, as Yono and his wife Donna, who's been by his side the entire time from diagnosis to months of dialysis and then donation day, waited in the OR on transplant day. All they knew at the time is that a couple from Albany would be driving into the city.

Goulet remembered, "The first time we met was at New York Presbyterian Hospital the morning of the surgery."

Purnomo said, "I just hugged him. I didn't even know who they are. And I started crying. To me, it's kind of an angel walking the earth."

That first embrace on that April morning is now a part of a bond that has them linked for life. "His journey was way more difficult than mine," Goulet explained. "I laid on a table. The heroes in my eyes are surgeons who are able to do this."

By Goulet's side the entire time was his partner, now wife, Vanessa, who said, "It's pretty on brand for his personality. He's always helpful."

Goulet, who is quick to downplay his good deed, had remained anonymous until now. His reason for coming forward is to do some more good and to help spread a simple message about the gift of live donations.

"This is about the easiest way you can save someone's life, I would say," he added. "You may be surprised at how easy it is to donate a kidney."

With just under 8,000 patients in New York on the organ transplant wait list, according the numbers from Donate Life NYS, and around 400 living donors,  Goulet is among the rare group that has helped to provide a precious second chance.

In the months following his recovery, Yono is back to doing what he does best, invested and involved in his community. "If people need help, you help them, right? And you have this person who has given so much to our community and so much selflessness, to be able to give back was incredible," Goulet said during the end of his interview with NEWS10.

Six months out from the transplant, both Yono and Goulet are doing very well health wise. Goulet said the hardest part of recovery was having to rest and not do anything. Goulet encourages people to look into live donation if it's something they've ever considered.