Houston father donates kidney to teenage son

“Regardless of the side effects, I want to provide him a life,” Broderick Hubbard told PEOPLE.

14-year-old Lance Hubbard says he aims to “live up to the sacrifice” after his dad, Brodrick Hubbard, recently donated his kidney so that Lance could live a normal life.

Brodrick, 36, told PEOPLE that the decision to undergo kidney transplant surgery with Lance, who has persevered through years of treatment and dietary restrictions since being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at age 5, was “a no-brainer.” 

“Regardless of the side effects, I want to provide him a life,” said Brodrick, a Houston-based operations manager and father of three boys.

Nearly 10 years ago, Brodrick and his wife Kendria noticed Lance beginning to develop symptoms including swelling of the hands and feet, loss of appetite and more. Doctors soon identified that Lance had kidney disease, PEOPLE reported.

“When we first found out about it, being at the hospital and him going through all these testings and surgeries (to put in a dialysis port), it got to me mentally,” Brodrick told the outlet. “I did break down at times seeing my son go through those things.”

The illness inhibits the kidneys’ ability to filter fluids, toxins and bodily waste, and makes it hard for the body to regulate levels of commonly ingested elements found in foods, per the outlet.

Lance’s mother Kendria told PEOPLE that it “was very difficult for Lance to maintain a normal life” amid the restrictions, yet he continued to remain active, playing sports including football and basketball.

As reported by the outlet, in September 2022, Lance began a form of treatment called dialysis, which helps the body perform functions of the kidney, but impacts patients’ ability to urinate and comes with various side effects.

Kendria told the outlet that this made school more difficult for Lance, who would at times experience “brain fog” and feel “jittery” due to the treatment.

Brodrick told the outlet that he knew he wanted to donate a kidney to his son when the time came. On May 24, the two underwent the transplant at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

While the two are still recovering from the operation, Lance says he is enjoying the new lack of restrictions on his diet and liquid intake, and Brodrick says he was out of the hospital and able to walk again within a day.

“He’s very strong,” Brodrick told PEOPLE about his son. “I knew if anybody was able to overcome it, it would be him.”

Lance says he plans to continue remaining hydrated, taking his medications regularly and trying to preserve his kidney “as long as possible.”

“My dad is a great example of what it takes to be a good man, loving father and a hero,” Lance told the outlet. “I hope to one day live up to the sacrifice. He works really hard and does a lot for our family.”

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