Fred Noe, a master distiller at James B. Beam Distilling Co., knew he was at risk for kidney disease. He didn’t know that he didn’t have to look far for help.
“As I did in work, I followed in my dad’s footsteps in health,” said Noe. “He had kidney problems that I expected to also develop with age. What I didn’t expect was to find the answer within my Beam family.”
When DeeAnn Hogan, Noe’s longtime friend and coworker, found out he needed a kidney, she volunteered to be his donor.
“I’m a pretty giving person,” said Hogan. “I try to do everything for the good of all. And God gave me two kidneys. I only need one, and I’m healthy enough. I take care of myself, and all the stars lined up and it was perfect.”
On April 23, 2021, they drove together to the UK Transplant Center so that Noe could get the transplant and a second chance at life.
“There was no question about where we’d go,” said Noe. “Dr. Malay Shah and the folks at UK HealthCare are not only my neighbors and have known me for years but are some of the most well-respected doctors in their field. I trusted them and wasn’t going anywhere else.”
A year and a half after his kidney transplant, Noe wants to give back to the place that saved his life and pay it forward to others on a similar transplant journey.
“I wanted to do something special to celebrate those who made this journey possible,” said Noe.
In gratitude, Noe has released a first-ever Booker’s Single Barrel Bourbon to commemorate his appreciation for Shah and the UK HealthCare Transplant Center.
Dubbed “The Second Chance Batch,” Noe said this barrel came from “the sweet spot of my dad’s favorite rickhouse, handpicked by me for my friends at UK HealthCare.”
On Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. EST, Medicinal Whiskey Charity will launch a sweepstakes where three lucky winners will receive a bottle of Booker’s “Second Chance” Single Barrel Bourbon, signed by Fred Noe himself. Proceeds will benefit the UK HealthCare Transplant Center Patient Assistance Fund, which provides support for lodging, travel and dental care for patients seeking transplants. The competition closes at 6 p.m. on Dec. 10. The drawing will be held on Dec. 15.
You can enter the sweepstakes here.
“Like other batches of dad’s bourbon, this one is uncut and unfiltered,” said Noe. “There’s nothing added to it. What’s in the barrel goes in your glass. The taste is full of big, bold discoveries. It stands apart from everything else and should be celebrated, just like DeeAnn and my friends at the university.”
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