One brother plays in hockey state tournament while other recovers from kidney transplant

Recently, Dontae had to decide to either play at the sectional finals or be with his brother as he goes through his third kidney transplant.

Dontae (left) and Dominik (right, in bed).

KSTP

"He went to Dominik and wanted to be there for him but Dominik said no, I'm going to do this, you play your game and it'll all be good in the end," said their mother, Kelly Lawson

Dontae ended up scoring the winning goal to take his team to the state tournament. The team celebrated about moving to the big tournament but also for keeping their word to Dominik to win.

"The whole team knew that they were going to do this for him. We came out flying and we won that one," Dontae said. 

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Kelly gave life to her son for the second time by donating a kidney to him. But eventually, Dominik's body rejected it. While waiting for another donor the Lawson's met a family member of a boy at the Ronald McDonald House. She was a match to Dominik.

Kelly says the woman donated a kidney and it lasted ten years. 

"And about a years ago, Dominik's health started to fail again and we had identified he was in chronic rejection," Kelly said.

Three times is the charm for this family. Dominik recently received a third-donated kidney. His dad said his son is a fighter. 

"He's also the kid that when you chase he doesn't run, he stops and meets it head on. Just like his surgeries he says, 'I'm ready, let's go.' He doesn't hesitate, he's one of those special kinds of kids," Jim Lawson said. 

With his older brother playing in the state tournament, Dominik will be there watching.