In January of 2021, Auburn Police Detective Damon Hewin, a U.S. Army veteran with multiple tours in the Middle East, was suffering from medical complications that required a new kidney to save his life.

Damon, however, a humble individual, kept his medical condition to himself — so few others, if anyone at all among his fellow officers, got the word.

But word did reach Hewin’s fellow Auburn Police Detective Jon Postawa, courtesy of a social media campaign being run by DOVE Transplant, whose mission is to match kidney donors with veterans in need.

After learning of his fellow officer’s desperate need for a new kidney, Postawa reached out to DOVE to communicate his wish to be tested not only for Hewin, but for anyone else in need of a transplant.

After several doctor appointments, a trip to Washington, D.C., and numerous blood tests, Postawa learned that he was a match to donate one of his kidneys to Hewin.

On July 15, 2021, after both Postawa, Hewin, and Hewin’s family traveled to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, doctors performed the surgery without a hitch.

Postawa and Hewin have since recovered fully from the surgery.

Based on his selfless performance during this incident, Postawa later earned an Auburn Police Department Lifesaving Medal.

In the write-up for the award ceremony in September 2021, the APD noted how Detective Postawa’s “selfless sacrifice to donate a kidney to Detective Hewin has personified APD’s Core Values of Courage, Honor, and Professionalism. Detective Postawa’s distinctive sacrifice and actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Auburn Police Department.”

And for this reason, the Auburn Reporter is recognizing Detective Jon Postawa as a Local Hero.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney disease is a leading cause of death in the United States and affects about 37 million people in the U.S.