Six years after buying his house, a St. John's-area man said he didn't think twice about giving a kidney to his next-door neighbour.

"It's just the way I feel. There were no second thoughts," said Darryl Bonnell, who seven weeks ago underwent surgery for a transplant that gave one of his kidneys to neighbour Kevin Murray.

"It was the right thing to do, to give him freedom," said Bonnell.

Both men, who live in the close-knit community of Pouch Cove, just north of St. John's, are now recovering.

Murray, who had had to give up his job and go on dialysis after his kidneys failed, still cannot believe that Bonnell was willing to give such a valuable — and risk-laden — gift.

"It took away a lot of your life, more or less. You couldn't do much," Murray said of his disease, which had required dialysis every second day, for hours at a stretch.

"Anything could have happened. He could have died in the operation."

The two men had not met until six years ago, when Bonnell and his wife, Pam, bought a house from Murray and his wife, Carm. The Murrays built a new property next door, and over the years the two couples became friends.

Carm Murray is overcome with emotion describing what Bonnell's gift has meant.

"We're still in shock.… You don't just ask someone to give you their kidney," she said.

"He got his life back. And within probably the four to five months, he'll be able to go back to work. It's amazing."

The Murrays were overwhelmed by what other people have done for them. Apart from Bonnell, five other people who had no relation to them volunteered to be tested. Then, people in the community raised money to cover costs.

Bonnell and Murray travelled to Halifax in February for the surgery.

At 39, Bonnell had a lot to lose. He and his wife have three young children, and he is self-employed. He knows that he could have died, and may end up on dialysis at some point himself. Apart from having to monitor his health carefully, he can no longer play sports.

All the same, he said he has not a single regret.

"I don't think it's a big thing to do," he said.

"It's the right thing to do, to help a neighbour.… [There's] no difference than if your neighbour had a flat tire. You'd help him out. Anything."