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There’s nothing like the bond between a father and his daughter.
Hailee Stender donated her kidney to her father, John, who was diagnosed with stage four kidney failure and given just two years to live.
'I feel so honoured'
After both surgeries, the harvesting and the transplant, were successfully completed in March, the two shared a teary-eyed embrace once they were reunited.
The 30-year-old, who’s John’s only biological child, didn’t think twice about donating her organ when she heard her dad’s health was deteriorating.
“No matter how much pain I was in I would have done it every single time,” Hailee recalled. "I saw how much better he looked because of it.
“I’m connected to my dad more than just by blood now. A part of me will always be with him.
"I feel so honoured I was able to help save his life.”
Officially a lifesaver
Her sister, AnaRosa – who was adopted in Ecuador when she was a newborn – documented the entire experience and thanked her sister for the “life-saving and selfless act”.
“Hailee knew at some point in her life she was going to get married and she wanted her father to walk her down the aisle,” says AnaRosa.
“She is the most selfless and admirable person I’ve ever known.
“She loves deeply and her willingness to donate a kidney speaks volumes about that. Hailie is officially a lifesaver.
“She saved our father’s life. For our family, this it’s truly life-changing."
John, who’s said to be recovering well from his surgery, is being closely monitored by medics and sees his surgeons twice a week.
Hailee, who named the donated kidney Kevin, has had to alter her entire life after the operation, including adjusting her diet and workouts.
Both surgeries lasted a collective eight-and-a-half hours and specialists predicted a recovery time of up to six months.
Source: Magazine Features
Image credit: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
