WATCH — ‘Love Is the Action Word’: Veteran Gets Life-Saving Transplant Thanks to Brother’s Dedication

A pair of brothers now share an even deeper bond after one stepped in to ensure the other got a life-saving procedure.

When Earnest Ferguson of Georgia was hospitalized two years ago due to complications stemming from a lung disease he developed while serving in the Navy, he got some heavy news, WKOW reported Tuesday.

An image shows Earnest in the hospital:

Veteran's double lung transplant in Madison brings family together. https://t.co/heCPdREbR9

— WKOW 27 News (@WKOW) September 20, 2023

He was going to need a double lung transplant and would also require a caregiver. His brother, Robert, who lives in Texas, knew it was up to him to help.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a lung transplant is “a surgical procedure to replace a diseased or failing lung with a healthy lung, usually from a deceased donor.”

While Earnest waited for the donation to become a reality, his illness worsened. Finally, a call came in from William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

Robert dropped everything to drive to Georgia, settle his younger brother in the car, and get him as quickly as possible to the hospital in Wisconsin to save his life.

“To me, love is the action word. I don’t care who tells you that they love you, if there’s no action behind what they’re saying, it’s still just words,” he told WKOW.

The process involving Earnest’s evaluation, admittance, listing, and transplant surgery happened within a 20-day period, and he is doing extremely well in recovery.

“His brother drove from Texas to Georgia to Wisconsin to make sure he received two new lungs and has been by his side for four months of recovery,” the hospital said in a social media post on Tuesday:

“He’s humble and has a smile that lights up a room. Meet Earnest Ferguson. Sir, thank you (and your family) for your service!” it continued.

When speaking of his big-hearted brother, Earnest said the situation brought them closer than they were before.

He added, “I don’t know the words to describe it. He always said I was his little brother, and he was always going to take care of me.”