AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Johnny Cashmore is feeling much better after he received a much-needed kidney transplant at Centura Transplant last month.

“I feel great. I have energy,” Cashmore said.

The 35-year-old from Aurora had battled Type 1 diabetes for a long time. Then last year he learned he would need a kidney transplant and started dialysis. It was a tough time for him, his wife and kids.

“It was pretty hard, I’m not going to lie,” he said.

His wife, Jessica, wanted to donate one of her kidneys to Johnny, but she was not a match.

So, the couple agreed to a paired exchange. Jessica donated her kidney to someone on the list whom she was a match for, and in exchange, another person donated their kidney to her husband.

“He received a kidney from a donor. Then, I, two weeks later then donated to somebody in Louisiana,” Jessica said. Then someone connected to that person in Louisiana donated to someone else.

The donation chain is still going. So far, seven people have benefited.

“Living donation is really the solution,” said Dr. Alex Wiseman, executive director of kidney transplant at Centura Transplant in Denver.

He said without a living donor, the wait for a kidney transplant can be five years or more. But paired exchanges are now helping more and more people.

“Anytime that you can see something that seems to be not a possibility, turn into a possibility, it just is just truly rewarding,” Wiseman said.

Jessica feels the same way. She hopes more people will consider donating a kidney.

“It takes you down for a couple of days, but you are giving the gift of life,” she said.

For more information on paired exchange kidney transplants go to: www.centura.org/transplant.