The Christmas holiday tends to bring out the best in humankind, providing an opportunity to demonstrate in a tangible way a spirit of generosity towards those who mean the most to us through the exchange of presents.
But not all gifts are equal.
There are some that simply cannot be found through scrolling on Amazon or meandering through the aisles at your local shopping mall, gifts so sacrificial that they leave the recipient in awe and speechless.
Will Bratton can certainly testify to this sentiment. The Nashville, Tennessee, resident received the priceless treasure of hope through the donation of the gift of life by his close friend and co-worker Ryan Terry in early December.
One week after Terry capped his stellar amateur season by being named Men’s Player of the Year and Mid-Amateur of the Year by the Tennessee Golf Association, the 33-year-old former Lipscomb University star opted to donate a kidney to Bratton. The pair first met when embarking upon their careers at a Nashville wealth management firm a decade ago.
“I’ve known about Will’s kidney condition for a long time. The more that I saw the reality of how hard life was for him, that he’s in a similar spot as me in wanting to be active with his two kids, I just felt like I had to do something.” – Ryan Terry
Bratton, 41, has battled polycystic kidney disease for the past 20 years knowing that a transplant was likely at some point, having witnessed his father endure a similar fate. However, the aggressive nature of Bratton’s symptoms narrowed the window of needing a new kidney or else facing dialysis, a sobering reality for the married father of two young daughters.
That’s when Terry decided to step forward to see if he could serve as a donor. Facing long mathematical odds that he would be a match, the extensive tests revealed that Bratton was a candidate to receive one of his friend’s organs.
“It was just meant to be,” Terry said. “I’ve known about Will’s kidney condition for a long time. The more that I saw the reality of how hard life was for him, that he’s in a similar spot as me in wanting to be active with his two kids, I just felt like I had to do something.
“All I had to do is go do a couple tests, which weren’t difficult, and then do a couple of weeks of recovery. I never really felt like it was a super big ask on my end. It’s not like it’s taken years off my life or put me in a substantially worse spot health wise down the road. God gave us two kidneys, and really we only need one to live.”
The actions of Terry have not only extended a lifeline for Bratton to enjoy a normal life, but have also transformed his faith and priorities for living.
“I knew this was always going to be a part of my story at some point,” Bratton said. “But you start to doubt that and question it, and I really struggled early on in accepting or really thinking that I’m deserving of something like this. It is another reminder of God’s great design that we are not meant to do this life alone but are meant to do this with others.”
Bratton worked nine years as a fundraiser with First Tee at the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Florida before meeting Terry upon arriving in Nashville in 2016. While Bratton considers himself more of a social golfer, he does hope that carrying one of Terry’s kidneys will create a genetic infusion of improvement to his game.
“My go-to joke of why I accepted Ryan as my donor is that maybe this is going to add at least 15 yards to my drives,” Bratton said.
Receiving honors from the TGA capped off a remarkable year for Terry that saw him pick up wins at both the Mexico Mid-Amateur and the Birmingham National Invitational Tournament. He also finished second at the Trans-Mississippi Mid-Amateur, had top 10s at the Canadian Mid-Amateur and European Mid-Amateur in addition to qualifying for both the U.S. Amateur and the British Amateur.
The timing for the procedure should not impact Terry’s golf plans for 2026.
“They don’t want me lifting anything heavy for at least four weeks, and I should be fully cleared after six weeks,” Terry said. “I’ll be rolling a few putts and chipping in the meantime, keeping the short game sharp.”
Bratton has already been able to enjoy vast improvements in his energy levels and quality of life just weeks after the procedure. Equally important is the manner in which this odyssey has shifted his focus to the future.
“I’m overwhelmed by the love of God made visible through Ryan’s sacrifice,” Bratton said. “There is no way to repay a gift like this, and yet his posture reflects Christ so clearly – freely given, without expectation, rooted in love. His willingness to lay down something of himself so that I might live has profoundly reinforced my faith.
“This journey has deepened my understanding of friendship as a sacred calling and generosity as an act of worship. I’m overjoyed by God’s goodness and moved to live my life forward with a wildly generous heart.”
The impact of Terry’s selfless act has produced a recalibrated sense of what is truly important in his life beyond a collection of trophies.
“Friendship and community are what God put us on this earth for,” Terry said. “We don’t know whose path we will cross or who God will use in our lives to make a difference, but it’s important to just be open and aware for those opportunities. My donation was a perfect opportunity to model what Christ has done for us – giving a gift that isn’t required and can’t be repaid. It can only be accepted without any expectation of repayment.”