With Just A Simple Act, This Starbucks Employee Just Saved A Life

Life-Saving Words

The door was swinging open, and then a friendly face came in. He ordered his regular order after scurrying to the register. With her intuition, she began screaming and she realized something was wrong. She paused for a few moments, curious to know if she was crossing the line, but she asked her question anyway after a quick breath intake. She never realized that her words would save a life.

A Regular

A Washington resident as well as military veteran, Vince Villano, had been a familiar face at Starbucks in DuPont. He had such a timetable to drop him each day at the cafe on his way to the office to get a specific drink. He would be there every morning, even though years had already passed. The Starbucks workers were beginning to know him, of course, and they clearly knew what the retired officer was going to be buying. The duty barista, that being said, felt that on one fateful day something was wrong…

The Barista On Duty

Nicole Mcneil was always on duty while Vince went to get his morning coffee. She was proud to know what his order was and she would start getting his coffee ready as soon as he came in. In fact, she had regulars’ nicknames that referenced their favorite beverage so that she could recollect frequent orders from customers better. But there’s nothing else she knew about this strange man whom she had served every morning, apart from the nickname she made for him. That was about to change, however.

Something Different

From the freezing lane, Vince came to Starbucks in January 2017. She saw him as Nicole came through the doors and went to organize his orders as usual. There was something odd about him today, though. The veteran carried himself differently, and in his long coat pockets, his hands were deep. She did a double-take once again when Nicole looked at his face.

A Predictable Routine

Vince had developed a predictable routine of going to Starbucks to get a coffee prior to beginning his day. Nicole felt that he was looking forward to the early morning caffeine blow, like most people, to get his tired mind moving. What Nicole did not know was that her morning routine had become important after a very tumultuous time in her life.

Aspirations

Vince aspired to get a degree from the College of the Siskiyous when he was younger. Located in California, the college has two of its most famous graduates, such as Mark Acre and Dan Hawkins. One unique subject Young Vince decided to think about: medicine and emergency treatment. Sadly, Uncle Sam came to look for him.

Serving His Country

After gaining valuable experience at college, Vince found himself serving his country in the military. Before he knew it a decade had passed, and he had become a sergeant. In the military, he was an emergency medical technician and he had seen a lot of things that still haunted him. After he left the Army, he made a decision to change his life.

The Change

After he had completed his service, Vince wanted to move on to open a branch of Farmers Insurance in Lakewood, Washington. He felt happy that he was going to lead a life of 9 to 5 now, and now the days of his life were on the line behind him. Little did Vince realize, however that confusion was still persistent in the future.

Difficult Time Adjusting

Like several other soldiers, Vince found it very difficult to return to civilian life again. At this point, his day started with a nearby Starbucks cup of coffee. It was according to his normal schedule. For years, he has been portrayed by the same barista. But neither Vince Villano nor Nicole McNeil realized they would be brought together by history, and everything began with a simple question.

Something In Common

As a student, Nicole McNeil was ambitious. After graduating from Stadium High School, which is in Tacoma, she knew that there were still bigger things to come. The future Starbucks barista attended Washington University, graduating with a degree in construction management. Prior to actually meeting her future husband, who coincidentally had something in common with Vince, she got her diploma back in 2005…

No Idea

Nicole has three kids with her husband. It was a coincidence that Justin McNeil, Nicole’s husband, had served in the military and left as a military sergeant, just like Vince. Nicole didn’t know, as would be predicted, that her daily Starbucks client had a lot of things in common with her own husband at first.

Working At The Coffeehouse

Since 2014, Nicole has been a Starbucks employee, but she still did not know Vince very well. Usually, she served him in the morning, and she had to learn his routine. She knew what the order was going to be like, exactly. As Nicole had been in a unique role for all the years she worked at the coffeehouse, Vince was unknown.

Attuned To Customers

Nicole comes into contact with many individuals every day because of her work. Like all individuals in the service sector, she had to be attentive to her clients. It didn’t take her long to pick up on things like changes in attitude and body language as she started seeing familiar clients. That is why she found immediately that something was wrong with Vince.

Extraordinarily Perceptive

“As a barista, we can always tell when our customers are unhappy and when they are suffering,” Nicole went on to explain on Starbucks’ official website. On that fateful day the mother of three and exceptionally observant barista quickly detected the grim expression of her frequent customer.

One Fateful Day

On this particularly cold morning, Nicole’s shift was almost over. There was always time for her, thank goodness, to serve Vince, her frequent customer. As she had known for years, Nicole became acquainted with the normal behavior he had and his usual attitude throughout the week. She said that his face was scarcely changed by Vince.

Not His Usual “Glum” Self

Nicole shared a few more specifics about Vince’s daily visits, speaking to MailOnline. She said He always looked a bit glum even when he seemed happy.” She said, “And he just wanted to get his coffee and go But his expression seemed different one morning. That day he was not his usual “glum” self, and she could see that there was more to it……

Genuinely Concerned

“After arranging her regular order, “30-ounce vanilla cold brew with extra vanilla,” she decided to ask Vince a question. Nicole went on to ask: “Is everything OK? She was extremely concerned about the welfare of her frequent customers. Vince did seem reluctant, however, to speak up. Nicole pressed for an answer, totally unfazed, although she never expected her question to lead to one of her life’s most significant exchanges.

Sitting Down To Chat

In her interview with MailOnline, Nicole shared, “I said I’m off in 15 to 20 minutes, we can sit down for half an hour and chat before I pick up my kids.'” She went on When I asked [Vince], he said It would take too long to tell you.’ I said, ‘Today, I actually have the time.'”

Their Talk

Nicole soon figured out when Vince started to speak, that he was a veteran. But she was surprised to find out that his main concern was not the transition from becoming a soldier to being a civilian. It was something that was much less psychological.

A Complicated Problem

However, it was just as difficult. An inherited disorder that triggers the enlargement and subsequent shutdown of cyst-ridden kidneys, Vince was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Vince’s family was affected by the illness, causing one of his ancestors to die. Significant symptoms, such as high blood pressure and kidney failure, may result from the condition.

The Disease

“Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys,” the Mayo Clinic website says. [They cause] the kidneys to swell over time and lose control. Cysts are fluid-containing noncancerous round sacs.” It adds: “The cysts differ in size, and they can grow very large.

His Feelings

“On the Starbucks website, Vince recalled, “When I was first diagnosed, I felt like, ‘Well I’m dying.'” He added, “It was not my first mortality experience. In the military, I had some cases. But this was out of my control, really. You can’t do anything. It’s sort of a black cloud that hangs all the time over your head.

His Condition

By 2016, Vince had to be connected to a debilitating dialysis system. The doctors told him that he wanted to get a kidney transplant days before his conversation with Nicole. It was a matter of life and death. For the whole day, Vince’s story was with Nicole. She had told her husband about her daily customer’s condition that evening. Then there was something suggested by Justin.

Generosity

“[Justin] said right away, ‘Well I’ve got a kidney. He can have mine.’ This comes to me as no surprise. He’s that kind and that kind of guy-and it’s not a shock to any of our friends who’ve ever heard of it. They’re like,’ Justin will do this, of course,” Nicole told MailOnline. “She shared: “I invited [Vince] to my birthday party. “And then he began to come over on the holidays for parties, and then he and Justin began to hang out on their own.”

Becoming Family

Vince quickly became a member of the family of Nicole and Justin. When she saw how well Vince and Justin had hit it off, she smiled, and Vince really loved their three sons. Vince had learned of the bid from Justin, but he had reservations about it. There was still a tiny possibility, even though he was well aware that Justin was a player, and Justin was still going through the tests required. Justin prayed for good news.

The Tests

According to the Alina Health website, “Testing to see if you can donate a kidney begins with a blood test.” The test will assess your blood type and whether it will match the blood of the recipient,” it also says.” Two more blood tests (tissue typing and cross-matching) will be performed if the blood type is compatible with the recipient. It took 12 months to finish the process, but Justin received amazing news.

A Pretty Easy Answer

Tests have shown Justin is a match! They didn’t waste any time, it was determined that the surgery would be a day after Justin’s birthday on 26 December (his 36th). Justin had no regrets, saying, “I felt like (offering to donate) was a pretty easy answer. There wasn’t a lot of thinking about it. It was let’s do this. I can do that if I got two, right? I can give one so that was it. In the end, it really is a life-or-death question. And so it makes it a non-question.”

A Successful Transplant

Finally, in order to finish the treatment, it is time for Vince and Justin to be moved to the operating room. She was ecstatic when Nicole found out the transplant was successful and announced it later that day. As for Vince, a new kidney at least meant that his life would have been shortened by 20 years.

Smaller Life

Life has become smaller and smaller for Villano over the course of a couple of months. Although he never cried, he had to deal with everyday pain. It was apparent from his face and from the circles under his eyes. All he did for several days was go to work and crawl right back into bed after he was done. He would look back and recall a different version of himself, back when he weighed 240 pounds and exercise was his favorite thing.

Past Person

He spoke about his experience, saying, “Now I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize the person I see looking back.” He has a tough time maintaining a weight of 195 pounds at 6 foot 2 inches. He went straight back to work after being hospitalized for in-patient dialysis, unable to sit at home. It was almost nothing but a force of will. “I can’t sit around,” he said It drives me nuts to admit that I can’t sit around.”

The Ultimate List

Vince produced a list of what he wanted to do once he got his friend’s kidney, to waste some time. The list was infinite. The short list included steak dining. The explanation for this was that, when his stomach became too sensitive as a result of his illness, he was unable to eat steak. He wanted to live long enough to see his daughters, Savanna, now 20, and Kanton, 18, grow older and one day have kids of their own.

Newfound Time

Much as Justin did for him, Vince decided to use his time and health that the new kidney would give him to support others. Vince knew it would be like night and day” for him to get a kidney transplant. His nephrologist, Dr. Partha Raguram of CHI Franciscan in Tacoma said, “It’s very documented in literature the improvement in everything from cognitive ability to physical energy to the ability to have gainful employment and a productive family life.”

The Need For Dialysis

Those that have dialysis 3 times a week have around 30% of the function of the kidney. However, the figure goes up to almost 100 percent when they get a transplant. For someone with Polycystic Kidney Disease like Vince, Dr. Raguram (whose patients call him “Dr. Ragu”) knows better than anyone about the purpose of a kidney transplant. In his own family, this hereditary disorder threads through. He has seen members of his family die while waiting for a kidney.

Transplant Waiting List

Approximately 80,000 people are on a waiting list at any point in the United States for a kidney, he stated. The worst thing is that every year, only about 16,000 people get the transplant they need. Throughout the years the number of unrelated living donors, including Justin McNeil, has grown from about 1% in 1996 to about 26% now. Justin’s kidney, according to the doctor, could last at least another 20 years for Vince. He said, “It is really the gift of a second life.”

Former Sargeant

After leaving the army as a sergeant, Justin McNeil started teaching seventh-grade English. Still, he works in the National Guard of the Army. He was less sentimental about making a kidney donation. It was to him, a no-brainer. There was a need for Vince that he could assist with. And now he has done exactly that. “I felt like a pretty easy answer was (offering to donate),” Justin said. There hasn’t been a lot of thought about it. Let’s do it it was. When I have two, I can do that, right? I can give one so it was like that.

Helping A Stranger

That sort of thing, however, is not what most individuals will do for a stranger, Vince said. “He said I would guess that there aren’t many people who would do what he does. “I don’t know I’m going to do that.” She said according to Nicole, that Justin is just that kind of guy. “He cares a lot more about people than anyone I’ve ever met,” she said. He is the kindest guy I have ever met. So when he said, ‘I’m going to give my kidney,’ it looked like All right, sure. Yeah, you’re going to.”

Being A Responsible Person

Justin sees it as nothing more than a portion of being on this planet a responsible human. But it’s just a life-or-death issue in the end. And so it doesn’t make it an issue,’ he said. All of us are called to give and try and make a difference and to do it unselfishly, and if you can do it, if you can do that little piece and just be content with it. The idea is just to try to make a small difference, and then you’ll probably find that someone out there needs it.

Health Concerns

Justin diverted any fears about his own safety. He focused on the sacrifice of those around him during his rehabilitation. For many months, he will not be able to pick up his children as he recovers. He said that he’s going to miss working in the classroom. He said at the end of the day, “This is not a zero-sum equation.” And I’m going to get back to whatever level of health I have. I’m just going to continue with my life, but he gets 20 good years out of that.

Brother-Like Bond

Much like true brothers. The friendship between Vince and Justin is packed with plenty of teasing. One evening at the McNeils’ home, in the weeks leading up to the procedure, they exchanged notes ongoing through caffeine withdrawals and having to turn to decaf. Justin said That was bad.’ Like when Justin cut off the tip of his finger making a project, Vince ribbed him about being too accident-prone.

An Unlikely Summer

When Justin kept on walking on nails when doing yard work, there’s also an unlikely season. He shows a photo he took when a wasp stung Justin’s lip when he’s around to record it. This has caused it to swell. It was in truth, larger than even the lips of Angelina Jolie. Impressive, if you’re asking us. Vince informs him, “I’m just telling him, ‘Hey, just don’t mess up my kidney.'” If anything were to happen that would render Justin unable to donate his kidney, close friends would still remain.

The Biggest Gift

The real blessing is their trust throughout the whole circumstance. The McNeils are as much of a family to him as his biological one, Vince said. As for the McNeils, they have said that for so long, Vince felt like a member of the family that they couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened. He’s an entity they all know they can count on. Whether it’s for little stuff like sitting for Thanksgiving dinner in their kitchen making mashed potatoes or even going and picking up the kids.

Just Vince

“I’m not the guy giving him a kidney and he’s not the guy receiving a kidney, he’s just Vince,” said Justin McNeil. That wasn’t going to stop him from reaping the benefits of a chance to taunt Vince about his kidney, anyway. I should make fun of him and just be like I’m going to take that back.'” At the DuPont home of the family, the two families decided to spend Christmas together and open presents under the tree.”

The Day Before

All of this took place just one day before the big transplant took place. The surgery will be the following day. For the two who started off as strangers but later became a true family, Justin’s kidney would be transplanted into Vince and life would begin again. He feels like a family member. Without him it wouldn’t feel like a holiday or a get-together,” Nicole said. She, after all was the barista who, in the first place, set everything in motion.

Potential Friends

Nicole said, “Every stranger is a potential friend. Not everyone is going to turn out to be one, but you never know. He’s ended up being like a best friend.” Vince Villano’s new kidney functions better than expected almost a month after the fateful surgery occurred. He’s gone to work again. And his appetite returned for the first time in a long while. His vitality is returning. The circles from exhaustion and tension under his eyes have slowly gone away.

The Heroic Donor

As for Justin McNeil, he is well on his way to recovery, too. In his beloved classroom, he has returned to teaching. The two of them, naturally, are still close friends. They have gone so far as to arrange the same time for their follow-up appointments. They did so for the main reason that they could drive together to meet them. In general, I wouldn’t want it to be this way, to have them as friends, as relatives. In my life, I can’t imagine not getting them,’ said Vince later.

We still dream of how our house will look when we grow up and have a family when we are young. And when the day finally comes to receive our dream home, our joy is unmeasurable. The story we’re about to tell you, however, is about a man who not only got his dream home but also found something while exploring his estate. Little did he know that what he was about to learn would forever change his life. But what has he found?

House of His Dreams

Christopher was fascinated and so, he began to explore his world. However, he did not realize that going down the terrifying tunnel meant that there was no way out. He kept driving until he was told not to go any further by a police officer and a realtor.

Investigating

When Cristopher had finally finished discovering and researching his land, he had all the requisite proof to do the right thing and to abandon the property in order to never return. What could he possibly have learned that made him take that decision?

Wandering The Woodland

The name of the main character in our story goes to Cristopher Wanliss, who recently bought a new house. The property was situated on fields of 16.5 hectares of woodland. He was full of joy and enthusiasm for owning a property he could call his own. But what Cristopher didn’t know was that in that country he was about to discover something.

A Tour Of His Land

All pointed out that for Cristopher, some may call it destiny, that house was created. He had gone on a tour of the same thing and its surroundings before buying the house. Since that year’s weather was a bit harsh, he had cut off several layers of the threes, making his property look even better.

Autopilot

Christopher fell in love with it all. The sound of quiet, the birdsongs, the trees brushing against each other. He just loved everything. It’s like his body and mind were going to the same place without thought once he got acquainted with the house. That’s when something came across that caught his attention.

Was It A Tree?

He had the impression that he was on cloud 9. He decided to take a closer look when he saw the object. It looked tiny and dark, put in what Christopher thought was a secret location. Was it a tree maybe? A tree smaller than average, or maybe older?

The Mysterious Structure

Well, the ones where Cristopher guesses first. When he got a closer look, however, he knew he was wrong. While he was exploring this object, he was excited but scared at the same time. He then slipped, dropping into a 3-foot hole.

Abandoned And Old

As he emerged from the fall, he was coated in mud and leaves and sensed the rush coming in. He committed himself to calm down and focusing on what was right in front of him. He saw something that had shocked him, something that he had not expected. Was it really a mine he had just discovered right under his land? It seemed to have been abandoned for a while and the only alternative was to further investigate it.