He Needed a Kidney. His Phi Beta Sigma Line Brother Gave Him One.

Brian Taylor and Larry Sutton pledged Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. together in the Fall of 1982 through the Notorious Lambda Phi Chapter at SUNY Old Westbury. More than four decades later, their bond has reached a depth few could imagine—Taylor recently gave Sutton a gift of true brotherhood: one of his kidneys.

On June 2, 2025, the two men underwent a successful kidney transplant at NorthShore University Hospital, sealing a friendship that began in the streets of Bed-Stuy and was forged in Sigma brotherhood.

“Words can’t express the love that I have for him,” Sutton told News12 Brooklyn. “I feel like he saved my life. When someone does that for you, you feel indebted to them for your life.”

After two years on dialysis and a long, uncertain wait for a donor, Sutton’s health was waning. Taylor, moved by love, faith, and memory—particularly of his own brother who died of kidney failure 20 years ago—stepped forward. Against the odds, the two were a match.

“When I found out, I felt my brother’s spirit putting his hand on me, saying ‘good job,’” Taylor said. “I felt like my brother was there.”

Their story is more than a medical miracle—it’s a living testament to the sacredness of Black fraternity brotherhood. Watch The Yard spoke with both Taylor and Sutton by phone today, and we’re happy to report that they are in good spirits, recovering well, and full of gratitude.

They told Watch The Yard, “Let this remind folks what joining a Black fraternity is all about.”

Sutton also shared on Facebook:

As they continue healing together, Taylor and Sutton carry the legacy of their chapter, their families, and their fraternity forward—living proof of what it truly means to stand in the gap for your brother.