A Maryland woman who donated one of her kidneys to save her son's life has been named the state's "Mother of the Year."
Cherryl Whitaker said she would do anything for her four sons.
"They all mean the world to me. That's my primary job, is to love my sons, to bring them up," she said.
In 2017, doctors told her son Christopher he had a rare and potentially deadly kidney disorder and he could die if he didn't receive a kidney transplant.
Luckily, Christopher's entire family was a match.
But when doctors told Whitaker they wanted to use one of her younger son's kidneys for the transplant, she said couldn’t deal with the thought of two of her children on the surgery table. She decided to step up and donate her own kidney.
After hearing about her act of bravery, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan awarded her the Maryland Mother of the Year Award. Hogan recognized Whitaker for her contributions to the community, her church and for the selfless act to save her son.
Christopher said that he is thankful that he’s alive to see a moment his mom deserves.
Gov. Hogan said that Whitaker is now in the running to be nationally recognized as Mother of the Year.
