WOODSTOCK, GA — A teen from Woodstock received the ultimate Christmas gift this year when he got a call on Christmas Eve telling him that he would be receiving a new kidney. While the kidney is a joyous occasion for the family, friends said the timing felt weird. Kincaid Eaker received the kidney a day before the three-year anniversary of his mother’s death — at the hands of his father — and she had planned to be his kidney donor.
Kincaid was born with polycystic kidney disease, a chronic, genetic condition requiring a kidney transplant. His late mother, Audra Eaker, previously lost two other sons to this same disease, said her best friend, Brandy Love.
On Christmas Eve, the family received word that Kincaid would get a kidney in a matter of days.
“For Christmas yesterday eve, Kincaid got the ultimate gift of receiving word that he had a kidney waiting for him!” Love wrote on GoFundMe. “After the drive from Knoxville and a sleepless night, surgery started at 9:30 a.m. for that gift. He is still in surgery but doing well. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he continues on this journey. These kids have had a road to travel. Also, please keep the family of the donor of this special gift in your thoughts and prayers as well.”
Because he was born with the condition, Kincaid’s family knew that a transplant was in his future. They just didn’t know when. Kincaid once thought he had a possible match, but the unthinkable tragedy in 2016 changed his entire life.
“Audra, early on, got tested and was a match for Kincaid for when he was ready for a transplant,” Love said in October. “She knew that there was no question where her son was getting that kidney from. It was coming from her.”
On Dec. 27, 2016, Audra and her husband, Darrell, were at a Christmas gathering at Love’s house. After they left, Darrell shot and killed Audra as she was driving.
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Darrell shot Audra while they were westbound on Georgia Route 92 at Indian Valley Drive, the Woodstock Police Department previously told Patch. The woman’s body was found inside the SUV around 9:30 p.m. at the intersection in front of a convenience store.
Darrell, who was 43 at the time of his arrest, was indicted in March 2017 in connection with the shooting. According to the indictment, Darrell fired a .45-caliber handgun at his estranged wife, and the bullets struck her five times in the face and head.
Following the shooting, Darrell dropped the firearm inside the vehicle and walked away from the it “without even attempting life-saving actions,”according to warrants obtained by Woodstock police. The shooting also damaged another vehicle. Darrell was convicted of murder in 2018.
“A couple of days after his mother’s death, Kincaid made reference to, along with losing his mother, he lost the kidney that was intended for him,” Love said. “This was a 10-year-old boy. Even though their roots are here, they now reside in Knoxville, Tennessee, with their grandparents, but have to make the trip here often for his medical needs. The transplant will be done here in Atlanta.”
In addition to the search for a donor, a GoFundMe was established to help support Kincaid and his sister, Olivia.