Kidney Donor, Recipient Reunited After Surgery
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- A Colorado mother of four says she has a new best friend, the teenage stranger she donated her kidney to last week. The pair was reunited post-surgery at Children's Hospital Colorado Monday afternoon.
"Hey, you... how are you doing?" asked donor Chrissie Smith.
"Not many words to thank someone for something like this," said recipient Jillian Laplante.
The two originally connected through a bumper sticker. It's amazing Chrissie was a match. The two told CBS4's Matt Kroschel the entire thing was "meant to be."
"I've already decided we are going to be best friends," said Chrissie.
"A lot of people don't realize how important it is to give someone the gift to change your life forever," said Jillian.
Jillian's story began when she was five years old, "I had an autoimmune disease that attacked both of my kidneys and I went into kidney failure."
Jillian went on dialysis and waited. At seven years old she received a kidney from a young woman who died in a car accident.
"And after that I was just like any normal kid playing sports, going to school," the teenager said.
That lasted eight years. But last summer Jillian's body rejected the kidney. She was back on dialysis, and this time campaigning for a living donor. Doctors said she had a two percent chance of finding a match.
"It was searching for a needle in a haystack basically, but we found a miracle," Jillian said.
The miracle is Chrissie, a mother of four boys living just a few miles away in Highlands Ranch.
"God wanted me to do this," said Chrissie.
Both Chrissie and Jillian were reunited in Jillian's hospital room on Monday.
"She is my hero, obviously people like her make the world a better place," said Jillian.
Chrissie is already out of the hospital recovering at home from her life giving surgery.
"To have a small surgery and just take a couple of weeks to recover and be able to live my life the same as normal, like nothing ever happened," said Chrissie. "Yet doing that small act can make such a big impact on somebody else's life, it seems miraculous that my small sacrifice can impact somebody else and not just Jillian but her entire family."
The two connected in October of 2015, when Chrissie saw one of Jillian's bumper stickers that read "Teen Needs Kidney … Type O Blood." It listed a phone number to call for those willing to help.
"This thought popped into my head, that's me, I have to call this number," said Chrissie.
What does Jillian think of Chrissie?
"She's my hero," she said.
Jillian has advice for others waiting for a transplant. She says never give up, miracles like this unselfish woman can happen.
Chrissie's kidney was removed at University of Colorado Hospital, put on ice and driven over to Children's Hospital Colorado where surgeons were waiting to give it to Jillian.
"A lot of people don't realize how important it is to be able to give someone the gift of life ... amazing. It will change their life forever," said Jillian. "I'm going to be able to do so many things that I couldn't do before and be healthy and do a lot of fun things."
Doctors say the surgery went well, and a full recovery for both women is expected.
"It doesn't seem like a big deal, I don't know why more people aren't willing to do it. It's not that hard, it's not that big of sacrifice to do," said Chrissie. "I would do it all over again."
April is Give Life Month and there are hundreds of people just like Jillian waiting for an organ donation match. Potential donors can visit organdonor.gov to find out more information about organ donation.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
