HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — A High Point mother is celebrating the fact her son received a much-needed kidney transplant.

Latesha Mays said her 15-year-old- son Jamar Frierson has been waiting for more than three years for the transplant. A year ago, she was hopeful a donor would come along and save her son’s life.

Her prayers were answered this week.

“That person is my son’s guardian angel just like his first donor still is,” Latesha said.

Latesha can remember when she got the phone call from someone at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on Monday, May 29.

“She said ‘How quickly can you be at the hospital?’ I said ‘thirty minutes,’” Latesha said.

The hospital found a kidney that would match Jamar.

Jamar was born with a disease that caused him to not have proper kidney function. He had his first kidney transplant when he was two years old.

Despite his health challenges, Latesha says Jamar has been an upbeat child with a strong love for basketball.

When he was 12, the family learned his kidney was failing. At 14, he got an infection which made his condition worse.

“He has not been able to do a full year of school in probably three years … for certain in the last year because he’s had to go to dialysis three times a week for 4 hours,” Latesha said.

On Monday night, Jamar went into surgery to receive his new kidney.

Jamar’s new kidney is functioning well and is expected to last longer than his first transplant.

He hopes to use his journey to help others like him.

“He really wants to start an organization and a brand that will bring awareness to kids like him,” Latesha said. “It does not necessarily have to be who had posterior urethral valve issues but for kids who have any type of kidney issues and don’t have a platform to engage, to talk to one another.”

Jamar and his family are thankful for their support system and look forward to life with his new kidney.

“Don’t count yourself out at least not until it’s finished,” Jamar said.

Latesha hopes he will be home by the weekend.

Jamar said he looks forward to recovering from his surgery so he can swim and play basketball and celebrate his 16th birthday next month.