Second Chance by Tina Shyver-Plank

The true story of a living kidney donor and recipient’s unbreakable bond

Imagine suffering with an unrelenting disease your whole life, only to be rescued by a childhood friend, a relative who wants to be a conduit for healing no matter what. Both individuals struggle with life but in vastly different ways—Ironically, Tina wants to die, even though she lives, and Brian wants to live, even though he dies. They come together to experience a miracle of God through the kidney that unites them. Brian lives nine extra years, dying of diabetic complications, not kidney failure. The doctors exclaim that the kidney is still completely viable at death.

Meet small-town writer Tina Shyver-Plank, who penned this compelling memoir about her gift of a kidney to her dying cousin, Brian Shyver, who has juvenile-onset type 1 diabetes from the age six years old. She is depressed and finds life painful, while he fights ardently with every step to survive.

After the donation, Brian gets a fire in his spirit for religion, and Tina finds the strength to live. You will cry with them, and you will laugh with them on their inspiring journey through life together, apart, and together again. It's a complex interplay of ups and downs, as the donation and their lives make an indelible mark on countless others.

“Since the struggles in life build character,” as Tina often puts it, you will come to understand that these two individuals grow up fast and offer a prayer of thanks to the God whom made them. SECOND CHANCE is an uplifting memoir that will move the spirit and immerse the soul in the nuances of life. This cathartic story ushers the reader into a kaleidoscope of experiences, both riveting and triumphant.