20 January 2024 , 21:51
638
0
In a heartwarming turn of events, a woman who donated her kidney to a man in need had the favour returned when his wife's kidney was used as a transplant for the original donor's brother.
Joely Sanders, from Arizona, stepped in to help Tony Gonzalez, from Illinois, who needed a kidney to free him from dialysis.
In an unexpected turn, Joely's brother, Frank Pompa, also needed a new kidney after his began to fail. And It was Mr Gonzalez's wife, Tracey, who provided the life-saving organ for Mr Pompa back in October. The story of this incredible kidney swap has gone viral, capturing the hearts of people across the country.
Mr Pompa found out in 2019 that only 10% of his kidney was working and he started receiving physically draining treatments twice a week. These treatments involved removing toxins from his blood to imitate the failing organ's function.
READ MORE: Woman gets compensation from airline after being made to travel economy
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
The families met on a virtual video call this week (Kgun9)Joely, who had tried to see if her kidney was a match for her brother, was left wondering what would happen after finding out it wasn't compatible. She said: "I was disappointed and I felt like, what are we going to do now?"
Despite realising she couldn't help her brother with a donation, Joely knew she could help someone else in a similar position. That's when she was linked to 55-year-old Tony Gonzales through a living kidney programme from the Banner University Hospital in Tucson.
The Gonzalezes then came across Mr Pompa who was also struggling with kidney failure at the age of 44. The good news was that Tracey Gonzalez was a perfect match for him and could donate her kidney.
Doctors at Banner Hospital safely removed Sanders's kidney and flew it to a hospital in Chicago. At the same time, surgeons did the exact thing with Tracey Gonzalez's kidney sending it on a quick flight to Tucson to help Mr Pompa.
The Gonzalez family were grateful for everything (Kgun9)After the treatment went well, both families arranged a video call this week. During the call watched by reporters and others, Mr Pompa expressed his gratitude towards the Gonzalezes and Banner Hospital saying: "It's been a long journey."
He shared his wishes of going camping and hunting once he recuperates, while his sister was excited to travel with her husband. Mrs Gonzalez thanked Sanders, telling him: "Because of you, you saved my husband's life, and now I have more of a future with him. So, thank you." When Mr Pompa tried to use Mr Gonzales' last name, he corrected him saying: "It's Tony - we're connected now."
Each year, more than 101,000 people in the US are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. According to the National Kidney Foundation, around 12 people die every day while waiting for a kidney transplant.
Aneesha Shetty from Banner Hospital stated: "The gap between people waiting and the demand and supply just keeps expanding."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]