A Lakeland man lost more than 100 pounds in hopes of being able to help save his sister's life.
Jeremy Bell lost the weight so he would be in good enough medical condition to donate a kidney to his sister, Crystal Bell.
Crystal Bell had a congenital condition that destroyed her kidneys. About a decade ago a cousin donated one of his kidneys to her, but undiagnosed Addison's disease destroyed Crystal's donated kidney.
Crystal has to go to dialysis treatments several times a week, but that is not a lifelong solution.
So Jeremy Bell made a decision to do whatever he could to help his sister.
"I just decided I needed to do it and started," he said. "You know, she's my sister."
Bell moved his family from Georgia to Lakeland to be near his sister as extra motivation to push toward his goal. He has been eating less and working out for two hours a day.
"Would you push them out of the way if a car was coming?" he said. "Would you protect them if someone was breaking into your house? I have a spare kidney. How could I not give it to her?"
Crystal Bell said her big brother has always looked out for her.
"He's always been my best friend," she said.
The Bell siblings are hoping to go through the kidney transplant surgery in August or September.
Before the surgery can take place, though, Crystal Bell still needs to raise at least $10,000 to pay for it.