Two rival pool players become lifelong friends after a kidney transplant unites them

Two rival pool players with a ‘bitter’ history have become the best of friends following a major decision made by one of them to save the life of the other.

Ten years ago, James Harris Jr. from Glen Burnie, Maryland, and Russ Redhead from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, crossed paths at The Bank Shot Bar & Grill in Maryland during an American Poolplayers Association tournament.

They were both aiming to win a prize – a free trip to Las Vegas. This trip would allow the winner to compete in more games with the opportunity to win an even bigger reward.

During the game, Russ had to give James a 20-point advantage, as per the rules, which ultimately decided the result, said WMAR.

Feeling upset about his loss, Russ took to Facebook to express his frustration by complaining about James.

But their mutual friends defended James after seeing his post, causing him to rethink his actions.

Eventually, he removed the post and apologized to James.

“And then I learned over time that James is actually a really good guy,” Russ, 42, told Good Morning America.

“And, you know, we went to other tournaments together, we would bet on people together and stuff like that … so we really started to bond [from] there,” he added.

As time passed, the friendship between the pool players grew stronger, and they started spending more time together, bonding over their shared passion for pool competitions.

But in 2020, Harris, who had kidney disease, faced a crisis when COVID-19 worsened his condition, leading to complete renal failure.

The medical team at the University of Maryland Medical Center acted swiftly, performing surgery to insert a catheter for dialysis treatment.

“I didn’t know dialysis automatically means … renal failure, which means your kidneys are no longer working. So that means you need a transplant — but they don’t spring all that on you at once,” recalled James, now 54.

He was placed on the UMMC transplant waiting list, understanding that finding a matching donor kidney could take years.

Upon learning of her husband’s health condition, Denise Harris eagerly offered to donate her kidney.

Being a rehabilitation service manager at UMMC, she underwent testing at the hospital’s transplant centre to determine if she was a suitable match.

“So, after all of the workup was done, it turned out that I was not eligible,” Denise said.

After attending the National Kidney Foundation’s Big Ask, Big Give seminar, Denise shared her husband’s need for a kidney donor with their fellow pool players in a pool tournament Facebook group.

She encouraged friends and family to get tested as potential living donors, aiming to shorten her husband’s transplant wait time.

During a pool tournament in November 2022, Denise shared her husband’s health struggles with Russ.

“After she told me all the things you need to be a donor, I looked at her, and I was like, ‘Well, I’ll do it,'” Russ shared.

Denise tearfully expressed gratitude, embracing him during their conversation.

For over a year, Denise and Russ kept in contact as he underwent extensive testing to see if he was a match, including heart and lung checks and blood work, per the NY Post.

Meanwhile, James deliberately stayed uninformed about these developments to avoid getting his hopes up.

He was stuck to his thrice-weekly dialysis schedule while staying on the transplant list, patiently anticipating a potential match.

After tests showed Russ was a perfect match, the pool players successfully underwent a kidney transplant at UMMC on February 8, 2024.

Russ was discharged and went home two days later, with James following suit a day after Russ.

After leaving the hospital, James tried to play pool in his basement, where Russ jokingly challenged him to “play you for a kidney” before the surgery.

Despite being unable to play initially, he was ready to play a few days later.

Dr. Richard Ugarte, who was involved in James’ care, gave a recovery update via a video interview from UMMC one month after the procedure.

He said James was “doing very well.”

“We see people weekly for one month after transplant, and this is now his fourth visit,” Ugarte explained, adding that James is doing great and has transitioned to monthly visits to the transplant clinic, with outpatient lab work.

He also mentioned that James’s recovery is progressing as anticipated.

Meanwhile, James is gearing up for his first tournament since the transplant, scheduled in his hometown of Glen Burnie, Maryland, on April 20.

He and his wife plan to visit Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in the fall when Russ opens his pool hall.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re best friends, but I think we’re BFFs now,” Russ said.

“Russ is not only a BFF, Russ is now our brother and our family,” Denise said. “He’s our family.”

Watch the heartwarming story of the pool players becoming BFFs despite their initial rivalry: