Peter Hughes, 48, of Spencer, Mass., donated the organ to Ajsa Bethiel of Lexington, Mass., even though he had never met the mother of two, who is a Bosnian refugee.

The way Brady played into the matter was Hughes saw the quarterback's impassioned plea for a kidney donor match for his mentor, Tom Martinez, who died recently.

Hughes said he had been contemplating organ donation for a while, but Brady's plea on Martinez's behalf pushed him to donate the kidney. The surgery was performed a week ago.