08/30/2026
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***UPDATE ON THE BOYS IN THE COMMENTS**** ❤️
A Story From Inside Our Top Shelf Family
We’re going to step away from agriculture for a minute and share something happening within our own little circle here at Top Shelf Feeds.
Two members of our team deserve a very special shout-out: Mathew and Brendan.
Mathew has been a longtime member of our retail team. Over the past year, while dealing with some serious medical issues, he received devastating news — he needed a kidney transplant.
It’s the kind of news that turns your world upside down.
There are the medical questions, the financial worries, the uncertainty of finding a compatible donor and the reality of what the road ahead might look like. Through all of it, Mathew also had another very important reason to stay strong — his young daughter, who depends on her dad.
Meanwhile, just across the parking lot, Mathew’s half-brother Brendan works on the mill and manufacturing side of our business. Brendan is an amazing employee, runs our warehouse, and somehow still finds the time to pursue his other passion — wrestling.
When Brendan learned what his brother was facing, he decided there was only one thing to do.
Find out if he could help.
Even being half-brothers was no guarantee they would be compatible. There would be blood work, testing, appointments, clinics, doctors and plenty of waiting.
Then came the news these two brothers had been hoping for.
Brendan was a match.
This past Tuesday, that match became something much bigger than a test result.
Brendan went into surgery at 7:30 in the morning to donate one of his kidneys to his brother. Mathew followed at noon to receive it.
The surgeries were successful.
Both brothers are now on the mend.
There is still a long recovery ahead, but what these two have already gone through together is pretty incredible. One brother was facing one of the biggest challenges of his life, and the other stepped forward and quite literally gave a part of himself to help him through it.
We couldn’t be prouder of them.
We look forward to having Mathew and Brendan healthy, recovered and back home on Vancouver Island — and eventually back around Top Shelf when they’re ready.
We talk a lot on this page about farming, community and supporting one another.
Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to see exactly what those words mean right inside our own doors.
Mathew and Brendan, all of us at Top Shelf Feeds are thinking about you both and wishing you a strong recovery.
Thank you for reminding our entire team what being a brother — and being family — is really all about. ❤️
Brendan Wilkinson
