SAN ANTONIO — Daniel Bloodworth opens the door to his charming Airbnb. He is wearing glasses and a black button-down shirt. He uses a cane to walk down a cement path, and as he lifts his shirt, it reveals a scar after recent surgery.
This is his second trip to San Antonio, but his face instantly lights up as he describes all that he and his dad have seen so far.
"The River Walk is really, really cool. I've never seen anything like it in my life," Bloodworth said.
He's here for a very special reason. The 24-year-old said, it's all God's doing.
"It's been a journey," Bloodworth said. "I loved every little bit of it."
This journey goes back seven months. Daniel was driving home from the gym in Lubbock when he saw a truck with decals pasted to the back window. The decals read "Kidney Donor Needed" with a phone number in large, bold lettering.
"I heard some words from God," Bloodworth said. "All I heard was, do it, you know, just do it."
He called the number and later met with Mike Woody. Woody, 54, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019. Doctors removed his prostate, but were concerned with his bloodwork results. Woody said prostate cancer runs in his family, but he also found he had been born with only one good kidney.
"I had one bad kidney and and I had one with a tumor other on the right," Woody said.
That same year, he had also lost his wife.
"So the first six months of 2019 was was really rough," Woody said.
Woody had been driving around with the decals on his truck for three and a half years--even traveling out of town--with no luck. He said he received calls from folks who were simply curious. He said 11 people stepped up but eventually wouldn't go through with the donation. One woman came close, but her doctor would not allow it due to a medical condition.
Woody also described spending hours at a time, four days a week receiving dialysis treatment. He said the treatment prevented him from spending quality time with his granddaughter.
That all changed, however, when he received a call from Daniel, who turned out to be a perfect match.
"It's totally amazing. And I don't know. The man's my superhero," Woody said. That's all I can say."
After running into issues at a hospital back home, Mike decided to come to Methodist Hospital for care.
"This is the best hospital I have ever been in, in my life," Woody said.
He praised the nurses, housekeepers and surgeons. He aid he now loves the people of San Antonio, calling them friendly. He laughed and said people are so nice, drivers will allow him to merge with a simple turn signal. He's even consider moving to the Alamo City.
Woody and Bloodworth underwent surgery on Thursday, and Daniel's kidney took immediately.
"I was so happy, I started to tear up," Bloodworth said.
In fact, the procedure went so well, Woody will no longer have to sit in dialysis. He can also go back to spending more time with his granddaughter, Ariana.
"I said, 'I'm going to miss your birthday.' And she said, 'poppa you're gettin' a kidney. She said, that's going to be the best birthday present I've ever got.'" Woody recalled.
While Bloodworth has given Woody a new lease on life, Woody has also given back to Bloodworth.
"Before I met him, he was an angry, introverted person who didn't like being around people. And now I just can't get enough of anyone," Bloodworth said.
Bloodworth said he he has met members of Woody's family, including Woody's granddaughter. The pair have even attended church together.
"This whole thing was God orchestrated," Woody said.
Bloodworth said he is proud of himself, and believes his dad is, too. He also said the donation has deepened his faith.
"The fact that it took it immediately was just god telling me, good work. You did what you need to do," Bloodworth said.
Both Bloodworth and Woody encourage others to become donors. Bloodworth also cautioned others to do research on becoming a donor because it can be a long and difficult process.
To learn more about Methodist Hospital's Organ Transplant Services, visit their website.
Bloodworth has also started a GoFundMe to raise money for medical expenses.