Disaster struck in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week when Dr. Martin Wijkstrom, a UPMC Transplant surgeon, had his car break down as he was on his way to perform a transplant at the hospital. Wijkstrom had the kidney in his vehicle, and he was 110 miles away from the hospital where a patient in need was waiting for it. Just when the doctor was starting to give up hope about making it there in time, a good Samaritan pulled over and helped him out in a way he was not expecting.

Brad Dostlik is a self-taught mechanic who describes himself as a police radio enthusiast and an all-around “good guy.” He was out driving that night listening to his police radio when he heard an unusual call about an organ transplant doctor driving a Tesla that had broken down with a kidney in his car. Dostlik did not hesitate to drive to where the doctor was.

“I like, friendly waved at him and I said, you got a kidney in the car, you need a ride?” Dostlik said. “When he had a flat tire on a Tesla, I knew it was game over.”

Wijkstrom was thankful for the ride, as time was of the essence since the surgery was scheduled a few hours from when his car broke down.

“He was very trustworthy and we connected and I had no real doubt,” Wijkstrom said of Dostlik. The two men quickly came up with a plan.

“Are you willing to drive to Erie? I said yeah, I have a full tank of gas, let’s go,” Dostlik said.

Anxiously waiting 110 miles away at UPMC Hamot Medical Center was 63-year-old Tom Loree, who was in kidney failure.

“We do like to do the transplants in a short period of time because it improves the outcome for the patient, so it’s a little time sensitive,” the doctor explained.

Sure enough, Dostlik got Wijkstrom there in time. At 1:45am, Dostlik received a text from the doctor saying that Loree was out of surgery and that it had been a success!

“People are still out there doing great deeds, wonderful deeds acts of love and kindness,” said Colleen Sullivan, Director of Communications for (CORE) Center for Organ Recovery. Dostlik himself hopes that others will see his story and pay it forward.

“I just want to do my good deed, I really wish other people would do the same thing,” Dostlik said. “I’ll never forget him, I’ll never forget that car ride.”