Chris, a 21-year-old patient at Ƶ Transplant Institute and his parents met Abraham, the 19-year-old altruistic kidney donor who saved Chris’s life. The boys, who are recovering well several weeks after their surgeries, shared a long hug as they met for the first time in front of a live Good Morning America audience. Chris tearfully told Abraham, “I hope to make you proud one day.” Doctors diagnosed Chris with lupus, an inflammatory autoimmune disease, at age 16. This condition precipitated an advanced kidney disease diagnosis, which required a kidney transplant.
After reading an article about organ donation, Abraham was inspired to become a donor. “Reach out to a hospital and see if you’re eligible and if you are eligible, really consider it,” he says. “I was in the hospital for two days. I was off painkillers in five days. I feel great.”
Laura Malaga-Dieguez, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ƶ, is Chris’s pediatric nephrologist, and the two have remained close since his transition to adult care at the Transplant Institute. Inspired by Dr. Malaga-Dieguez, Chris hopes to become a doctor. “She’s the one that fought for me from the beginning.”
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