“Now I can”: A mother donates her kidney to her son after a lifetime of fighting cystic fibrosis

ATLANTA — As her son prepared for yet another major surgery, Sherry Petty said something she had been holding onto for years.

“Your whole life, I was never able to do anything to help you … and now I can.”

Moments later, she donated her kidney to him.

Her son, Joseph McCanne, has been living with cystic fibrosis since the day he was born. 

For much of his life, his future was uncertain. At one point, doctors told his family he might not have much time.

A year later, he got married.

More than two decades after that, Joseph is still here, but not without a long and complicated medical journey.

He has undergone two double-lung transplants, the second coming after a sudden and severe rejection that caused his lung function to drop rapidly in a matter of weeks.

He recovered. But over time, the medications that kept his lungs functioning began to damage his kidneys.

Eventually, he needed another transplant.

This time, the donor was his mom.

Sherry Petty was a match and decided to donate one of her kidneys—giving her son another chance at life.

Their story also includes the family they built along the way. After learning they likely would not be able to have children, Joseph and his wife chose to foster siblings and later adopted them, growing their family in a different way.

Just weeks after the adoption was finalized, Joseph became critically ill again, leading to his second lung transplant.

Today, their family has continued to grow, with grandchildren and milestones that once felt uncertain.

Now, Joseph is recovering from his kidney transplant, with his mother by his side.

For this family, it’s another step forward, together.