Newport, VT– April is National Give Life Month, and one Newport man has donated an organ not once, but twice. Larry Lewis just donated a lobe of his liver to save a child’s life.

“It was great the first time I did it, and it’s even better the second time,” says Lewis.

Working in law enforcement, Lewis enjoys helping others. But recently, he’s been helping in a very important way: organ donation.

“I’m an organ donor on my license, but I never even thought about living donation, none of my family has ever done anything like this either,” he notes.

In 2022, Lewis donated a kidney to a man he’d never met, Alain Roy, found through signs posted around the state.

“And I figured, ‘why not try?’ I said, ‘I’ll never make it to the end, but why not try,’ and then I got the phone call, and then January 26th of 2022, the donation took place,” he says.

Lewis notes he’s been close with Roy ever since then. But he had to wait at least another year to donate again. Lewis made contact with the Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts at the end of last year. Lewis says he had to undergo more evaluation for being over 50 years old, but that didn’t stop him from donating again.

Soon, part of his liver was going to go to a two-year-old girl. “Fast forward to Monday the day prior to surgery, they said plans changed, she already got her donation, and it would go to a four-year-old boy instead. So, knowing that it went to a child makes me feel really good,” Lewis says.

Lewis had the complicated surgery April 11. He says the recovery process was easier than when he donated a kidney. He says his entire family has been supportive through both donations.

“If I could help somebody’s life to be better than it has been, you know my life has been pretty healthy, I figured I would give it a go,” he notes. “If people did the education to go along with this, I think more people would be willing to help others,” Lewis adds.

Lewis says he’s heard the young boy is doing well, and he’ll be reaching out to the recipient soon with a letter.