NORTHEAST KNOX COUNTY, Tenn (WVLT) -- Drayer Physical Therapy in the Carter Community looked mopre like a restaurant as Mike Andrews threw a BBQ benefit for Paul Ayres recenrtly.

"We tend to do things a little differently here," says Mike.

Mike cooked up the idea to help his patient and long time friend who is battling kidney disease.

Mike says, "Some of the unexpected expenses that were going to come with this, I figured this is a good way to reach out and raise money to help them out."

Paul goes for dialysis every other day, it saves his life. He has end stage renal kidney disease, which means his kidneys don't even work.

Paul says, "Different things poisons can work on your heart and vascular, kidney's already gone. There are good days and bad. You gotta take the good and run with it."

Aside from the bbq dinner, friends, family, and fellow church members collected their spare change for a month, to help pay Paul's medical bills.
They called it "Pennies for Paul."

Paul's wife Donna says, "Paul has Medicare and we have insurance, can't imagine without it. But there's still 20 percent cost from dialysis, medication, and all the costs we face for transplant, doctor visits, it's a constant."

Stan Reno has been friends with Paul for more than 25 years and says, "They're (Ayres family) part of our family, we're part of their famiy,. Not blood wise, but through church, so naturally we want to help."

Paul says, "To see people stop and take the time to do this, it really touches me."

Paul recently became a candidate for a kidney transplant, but there's no telling when he actually gets one.

In the meantime he's surrounded by love and volunteer spirit.

"If you can't get a blessing out of something like this, you will never get one. It makes you want to go into a corner and cry," Paul says.