The bond of Sigma Nu Fraternity transcends the years spent within chapter houses and college campuses, often revealing itself in the most remarkable of ways. For chapter brothers Jimmy Carder and Dan Jagoe (Jacksonville State), an extraordinary act of kindness not only saved a life but defined the true meaning of brotherhood.
In the fall of 2023, Jimmy donated a kidney to Dan – gifting him with a life free of dialysis and pain.
“It speaks to our brotherhood and the love me and Jimmy have for each other after all these years,” said Dan, who lives just two miles away from Jimmy.
The friendship between Jimmy and Dan stretches back four decades, starting in the chapter house of Sigma Nu in the early 1980s. After college, they both relocated to Cumming, Ga., growing closer as neighbors and the best of friends.
For the past 14 years, Jimmy has hosted “Jimmy Fest,” an annual reunion for his Sigma Nu brothers. Dan has attended each one. A few years ago, they started meeting each month for breakfast.
“We get together, talk shop, talk about families and the fraternity,” Jimmy said. “And we call it ‘biscuit with a brother’.”
In May 2023, during their monthly breakfast, Dan revealed his kidneys were failing, functioning as low as six percent. He had been placed on the transplant list at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.
Jimmy remembers little else about the conversation other than trying to figure out how he could help his friend.
