See Son Surprise Sick Mom on Day of Kidney Transplant

He flew thousands of miles to be there.

ByABC News
October 29, 2015, 3:28 PM

— -- When Carl James Brooks' mom was scheduled to have a kidney transplant, of course she wanted him to be there.

But Brooks lives in Germany, while his parents live in the United States. The surgery was to take place at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital, some 4,000 miles away.

Through the generosity of friends and family, however, he was able to book a last-minute flight to see his mom right before her surgery.

The heartwarming moment was all caught on video. As the tears flow, Brooks' mom says, "So I sat in bed and cried this morning because, I'm like, I didn't get to see my boy."

Brooks says his mom has been battling kidney disease for about 10 years and on dialysis for the past year. "I'm so thankful we've been given this opportunity for her to get off dialysis," he said, "and get on the mend."