On Friday, University Hospital doctors and nurses and friends and family members of college senior Matthew Hawkins gathered to surprise him, thanking him for being a living liver donor to his stepdad, Bill Rogers.
"I'm a lucky mom," said DeAnna Rogers. "Very lucky."
Bill Rogers was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Deficiency, and learned he'd need a transplant to survive. Hawkins stepped up to see if he could be a match.
"I get a call that was like, hey we can do it but we gotta do it in four days," Hawkins said. "I'm like oh, this is happening, this is actually happening."
Hawkins' mom says she had some hesitations.
"I was not a big fan at first, I'm not gonna lie," DeAnna Rogers said. "I was nervous about my baby doing this and I tried to give him outs, and he was like, I wanna change, I wanna make a difference, I wanna save his life."
After a quick recovery, Hawkins became University Transplant Center's living donor number 16. Everyone celebrated with a surprise sea of orange and white, and Whataburger gave him a free year of his beloved biscuits and burgers. His family says their mission is just beginning.
"We've been given a second chance at life and we're gonna make the most of it," Rogers said.
They're making it their mission to help save more lives.
"Check your blood type, see if you can donate, see if you can do something for someone out there," Hawkins said.