Bear County Jail Sergeant With Stage 5 Kidney Failure Set For Living Donor Transplant From Fellow Deputy

Bear County Sergeant Joseph Vela To Undergo kidney transplant From Fellow Deputy Jose Calderon

USA: Bear County Jail sergeant Joseph Vela was diagnosed in February with stage 5 kidney failure and told his kidneys were functioning at roughly 10 percent. The condition forced Vela onto dialysis and altered daily life for the longtime corrections officer and father, limiting activities such as swimming because of an access port. He immediately began searching for a living donor to avoid prolonged time on the transplant waitlist.

A match emerged close to home when deputy Jose Calderon, a colleague and friend of 15 years in the sheriff’s office, stepped forward to be evaluated as a donor. After extensive testing and coordination with Vela’s transplant team and nurse coordinator, the pair received a tentative surgery date of July 1. The operation is planned as a living-donor kidney transplant, with both men navigating the medical and logistical hurdles that precede surgery.

The planned transplantation highlights the role of living donation in reducing wait times and improving outcomes for people with advanced renal failure. Vela’s medical appointments and preoperative workups are already underway, and both men are preparing for the physical and emotional demands of donation and recovery. Friends and family on both sides are involved in perioperative support and caregiving plans.

Community fundraising has helped ease the financial strain so Vela can focus on recovery, while neighbors and coworkers have rallied around the two fathers of young daughters. The case has become a local testament to workplace bonds translating into lifesaving action, as colleagues prepare for the surgery that could restore Vela’s health and return both men to full family and community life.

Video originally published on 2026-05-31 21:48:36