Cousin’s organ gift rescues ailing toddler

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A brighter future for a young boy started with the biggest but easiest decision one family member ever made.

That was donating a kidney.

Max Berlyn Heffernan, the toddler son of Columbus native Kye Hawkins and her husband Ryan Heffernan, received the gift of a healthy organ a little more than 16 months ago from Hawkins’ cousin, Kassidy Galbraith of Columbus.

Please read Wednesday’s edition of The Republic for more details.