Hi, I’m Jimmie Joe Bruns. I was born in Carrolton, Illinois on June 5, 1953. I graduated from North Greene High School in 1971. I worked at Capitol Records in Jacksonville for one year, and then I joined the Navy. I spent three years in the service and had the opportunity to travel around the world and see many interesting places.
When I returned home, I got married to my first wife. We were married for thirteen years and had two children, a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Autumn. After our divorce, I married my current wife, Barbara. We have been married for thirty years. She has four daughters—Christy, Nyssa, Mandy, and Trisha—and we also adopted a friend of the girls, another daughter named Rebecca Mae.
We have moved around quite a bit and I have held several different jobs over the years, including maintenance work, school bus driving, janitorial work, operating a wrecker service, organizing blood drives for the Red Cross, working in banking in Carbondale, Illinois, and serving as a training instructor at a college in Jacksonville, Illinois called Elm City.
Some of my hobbies include fishing, golfing, playing pool, listening to music, reading, painting, playing card games, watching movies, and spending time with our two dogs, Toto (a Yorkiepoo) and Munchkin (a Dachshund).
I am now retired and on dialysis every day. I go to church regularly and I am also a veteran. I have hidden failures from an injury during my time in service that eventually led to kidney failure in 2021.
My hope is to regain my energy so I can be more present for my spouse and enjoy the activities that bring me joy. This experience has made me more aware of what others are going through and the struggles this disease brings—not just for me, but for my extended family as well.
My faith in God has been a big source of peace for me. I feel blessed for the many ways God has shown grace in my life. When someone blesses another person with an organ donation, it is truly humbling.
God bless.
We need you to help us support Jim. Whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, you can make a profound impact!
Living kidney donation has been proven to be safe. There are no long term consequences to the donor. After recovery, donors can live a normal life with one kidney.
DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery.
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-161