TONIGHT AT 5:45. A LOCAL WOMAN WAS INSPIRED WHEN SHE SAW OUR STORY OF A LOCAL VETERAN GETTING A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT HE DESPERATELY NEEDED. SUMMER: THAT WAS LAST FALL. SHE CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO SAY SHE COULD HELP OUT SOMEONE NEEDING A KIDNEY. IT HAPPENED. THEY TOOK HER UP ON IT. STEWART: AND AS WESH 2’S DAVE MCDANIEL SHOWS US, THE TWO STRANGERS, JUST MET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PERSON. >> I SINCERELY LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE. DAVE: TWO STRANGERS, NOW FOREVER CONNECTED BY A STRONG BOND. >> AT 75, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF TIME I HAD LEFT, BUT I DIDN’T THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT TO 76. DAVE: THE ARMY VETERAN NEEDED A KIDNEY. HIS CONDITION WAS DETERIORATING. >> I LOST MY ABILITY TO WALK, I HAD TO USE A CANE, I HAD NO STRENGTH WHATSOEVER. I WAS READY TO GIVE UP. >> I’VE ALWAYS KIND OF BEEN A NURTURING KIND OF PERSON, THE 4TH OLDEST OF TEN KIDS. DAVE: JULIE DONOHUE SAW OUR STORY OF ANOTHER VETERAN, JIM COCHRANE, A LOCAL MAN WHO NEEDED A KIDNEY AND DOVE, WHICH STANDS FOR DONOR OUTREACH FOR VETERANS, MADE IT HAPPEN. >> WHEN I SAW THE STORY, I WAS LIKE, I’M REALLY HEALTHY, I’M GOING TO DO THIS AND I NEVER LOOKED BACK. DAVE: TESTS CONFRMED SHE WAS A MATCH FOR A TOTAL STRANGER FROM NEW JERSEY. >> I WAS GOING TO HAVE A DONOR, WHEW, IT’S OVERWHELMING, IT’S OVERWHELMING. DAVE: HER KIDNEY WAS REMOVED IN TAMPA BACK IN MARCH, FLOWN TO JERSEY, WHERE MARK AND HIS DOCTOR’S WERE READY AND WAITING. >> THEY SAID HE WAS DOING GREAT, AND THEY SAID AS SOON AS THEY CONNECTED THE KIDNEY, IT STARTED WORKING RIGHT AWAY. DAVE: THEY HAD SPOKEN SINCE THE SURGERY OVER ZOOM, BUT JUST NOW, MET IN PERSON. >> AS SOON AS WE MET OVER ZOOM, I COULD JUST SEE IT IN HIS EYES, YOU KNOW, I COULD FEEL HOW HE FELT AND IT MADE MY HEART SO HAPPY BUT IT WAS SO MUCH MORE REAL WHEN I MET HIM LAST NIGHT. >> MY WIFE AND I ARE SO HAPPY. MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN ARE SO HAPPY. I CAN DO THINGS AGAIN, I CAN WALK ANY DISTANCE. DAVE: SO YOU FEEL GOOD? >> I FEEL FANTASTIC. DAVE: THE TWO COUPLES HAVE ALREADY ENJOYED A MEAL, AND WILL SPEND A FEW DAYS BUILDING THEIR NEW FRIENDSHIP. >> IT BECAME REAL WHEN I SAW HIM. IT WAS THE BEST HUG EVER, WHEN I MET MARK LAST NIGHT. DAVE: IN LAKE COUNTY, DAVE MCDANIEL, WESH 2 NEWS. SUMMER: WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE IS WATCHING AND THEY ARE INSPIRED AND WE CAN KEEP IT GOING. JULIE SAYS A CO-WORKER USED TO CALL HER JAY DOG. SHE TOLD MARK THAT’S THE NAME OF HIS NEW KIDNEY. DOVE SAYS IT HAS 6 FLORIDA VETERANS NEEDING KIDNEYS RIGHT NOW. STEWART: YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT DOVE ON WESH.COM AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD KIDNEY ISSUES CANNOT LIVE A FUNCTIONAL LIFESTYLE AND ARE ON DIALYSIS, SO WHAT SHE DID GAVE HIM A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. SUMMER
‘Made my heart so happy’: Florida woman meets stranger she donated kidney to
Two strangers are now forever connected by a strong bond.”At 75, I didn’t know how much time I had left, but I didn’t think I was going to make it to 76,” Mark Klayman said.The Army veteran needed a kidney, and his condition was deteriorating.”I lost my ability to walk, I had to use a cane, I had no strength whatsoever. I was ready to give up,” Klayman said.Julie Donohue saw WESH’s story of another veteran, Jim Cochrane, a local man who needed a kidney, and Donor Outreach for Veterans made it happen.”When I saw the story, I was like, ‘I’m really healthy, I’m going to do this,’ and I never looked back,” Donohue said. “I’ve always kind of been a nurturing kind of person, the fourth oldest of 10 kids.”Tests confirmed she was a match for a stranger from New Jersey.”I was going to have a donor, whew, it’s overwhelming, it’s overwhelming,” Klayman said. Her kidney was removed in Tampa in March, and flown to Jersey, where Mark and his doctors were ready and waiting.”They said he was doing great, and they said as soon as they connected the kidney, it started working right away,” Donohue said. They had spoken since the surgery over Zoom, but this week, met in person.”As soon as we met over Zoom, I could just see it in his eyes, you know, I could feel how he felt, and it made my heart so happy, but it was so much more real when I met him last night,” Donohue said. “My wife and I are so happy. My children and grandchildren are so happy. I can do things again. I can walk any distance. I feel fantastic,” Klayman said. The two couples have already enjoyed a meal and will spend a few days building their new friendship.”It became real when I saw him. It was the best hug ever when I met Mark last night,” Donohue said. Donohue used to have a co-worker who called her “J-dog.” She named her donated kidney “J-dog.”Learn more about Donor Outreach for Veterans here.
Two strangers are now forever connected by a strong bond.
“At 75, I didn’t know how much time I had left, but I didn’t think I was going to make it to 76,” Mark Klayman said.
The Army veteran needed a kidney, and his condition was deteriorating.
“I lost my ability to walk, I had to use a cane, I had no strength whatsoever. I was ready to give up,” Klayman said.
Julie Donohue saw WESH’s story of another veteran, Jim Cochrane, a local man who needed a kidney, and Donor Outreach for Veterans made it happen.
“When I saw the story, I was like, ‘I’m really healthy, I’m going to do this,’ and I never looked back,” Donohue said. “I’ve always kind of been a nurturing kind of person, the fourth oldest of 10 kids.”
Tests confirmed she was a match for a stranger from New Jersey.
“I was going to have a donor, whew, it’s overwhelming, it’s overwhelming,” Klayman said.
Her kidney was removed in Tampa in March, and flown to Jersey, where Mark and his doctors were ready and waiting.
“They said he was doing great, and they said as soon as they connected the kidney, it started working right away,” Donohue said.
They had spoken since the surgery over Zoom, but this week, met in person.
“As soon as we met over Zoom, I could just see it in his eyes, you know, I could feel how he felt, and it made my heart so happy, but it was so much more real when I met him last night,” Donohue said.
“My wife and I are so happy. My children and grandchildren are so happy. I can do things again. I can walk any distance. I feel fantastic,” Klayman said.
The two couples have already enjoyed a meal and will spend a few days building their new friendship.
“It became real when I saw him. It was the best hug ever when I met Mark last night,” Donohue said.
Donohue used to have a co-worker who called her “J-dog.” She named her donated kidney “J-dog.”
