BILLINGS — One Montana man is celebrating the ultimate gift this holiday season: the gift of life.
Sixty-one-year-old Randy Searer received a new liver last year.
After his surgery, in what he thought was a shot in the dark, Searer reached out to his donor's family. To his surprise, the family responded.
See photos from the Searer and Leep family reunion below:
Searer is a livestock auctioneer and rancher in Savage, near the North Dakota border. His life passion had to come to a sudden halt when, in April of 2024, Searer found out he had Stage 4 liver cirrhosis. His only option was to get a new liver.
"For me, I didn't have a choice," Searer told MTN. "I mean, it was either die or get a new liver."
Searer was immediately placed on the organ recipient list and received care at the University of Colorado. After six months of waiting, in September of 2024, his wish came true when a liver became available.
"I think it was on the night of the 16th. I can't really remember the date," Searer said. "I got a call from the head surgeon... and she said we got a new liver. This one's a good one, and you're going into surgery at 2:00 in the morning."
Searer eventually made his way back home to Montana in late October, eager to return to his life of ranching and auctioneering.
"I was more anxious to get on with it than anything," he said.
Fast forward to 2025, when Searer decided to reach out to his donor's family. He sent a letter to the University of Colorado, asking to meet. That letter was eventually sent to LifeCenter Northwest and then directly to the donor's family.
"We would've went to Florida or Alaska or whatever," he said. "So to find out it was 400 miles up the road, it was just like I said, super amazing."
His donor was Nicole "Nikki" Leep, an Amsterdam, Mont., woman who died at 47 on Sept. 15, 2024, in Billings after suffering a brain aneurysm.
MTN connected with Leep's family, who said she will be remembered for her love of animals, her faith in God and her contagious energy.
Before Leep died, she was offered a job at a local veterinarian clinic, which her family said was her dream job.
"She was just the center of our lives," said Leep's brother, Nate Dyk. "She was super fun. She was loud."
Around the same time that Searer sent his letter to the University of Colorado, Leep's sister, Tami Leep, was in contact with LifeCenter Northwest about meeting the organ recipient.
Interestingly, both Nikki and Tami Leep share the same last name, as they married brothers and were sisters-in-law before her death.
In Searer's original letter to the Leep family, Searer stated his full name and that he was an auctioneer from Montana.
With excitement, Tami reached out to a member at her local church, who was also an auctioneer, and asked if he knew of Searer. That friend connected the two.
"He says, I got to tell 'ya. He says, I know who your donor is," said Searer. "It is the Leep family from (Montana)."
Searer learned that his donor was a dairy farmer, animal lover, and horseback rider. A perfect fit.
"It was so neat that he was a rancher, Montana guy, a lot of the same interests (as) what Nikki did," said Mel Dyk, Nikki's father.
"I'm an agriculture-based, cattle rancher from Eastern Montana. The Leep and Dyk family from Manhattan, they're dairy farmers," said Searer.
Searer met the family on Nov. 24. When the families met, the connection was immediate and profound.
"I mean, it was like we've known each other forever," Searer said. "I mean, wonderful, wonderful family."
"I mean (meeting him was hard). It brings up a lot of memories and hard things. But, also shows what joy can come from such terrible time and experience," said Tami.
The experience has transformed both families' perspectives on organ donation. While initially reluctant about donating, the Leep family now sees the blessing in Nikki's gift. Besides Searer's liver, Nikki also donated her lungs, kidneys and corneas.
"At first, when we were up (at Billings), and we found out she was a donor, we didn't want that to be. 'Cuz it was going to prolong the agony," Mel said. "But after the fact, and seeing what she did for somebody else, to give them life, to extend their life, what a blessing."
For Searer, who has returned to his life's passion of auctioneering, each day carries new meaning.
"God is good," Searer said. "Life is good. And it's a good day to be alive."
The Leep family now advocates for organ donor awareness, hoping their story will encourage others to consider the life-saving impact of donation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and portions of this article have been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
