"He's taught me a lot about being strong and just to keep fighting. He's definitely one of the toughest kids I've ever seen, if not the toughest."
Dominik Lawson never has been one to shy from a challenge. Case in point: If his older brother, Donte, comes after him trying to provoke a little horseplay, Dominik holds his ground. "There's no chasing," said the boys' father, Jim. "Dom just stops and starts swinging."
Dominik's toughness has been on display for most of his 13 years. Born three months premature with failing kidneys, he received his first transplant when he was just shy of 2 years old, in April 2007. Dominik's body rejected that kidney, which was donated by his mother, Kelly, within 30 days. He underwent a second transplant in the spring of 2008.
