Pay it forward:
College student
saves two lives with one gift By Ami Felker
Counting down the days until her surgery, Monique Wisdom soothed her spirit with a whispered prayer of thanks. Upon learning she was a suitable transplant match for her ailing mother Annette Kaiser, the 23-year-old college student was able to extend a hand of hope. Meanwhile, just 250 miles south in Houston, Jesus and Imelda Martinez spent their days in fear, unsure of their future. Jesus, a 36-year-old shipping and receiving clerk, was on the national waiting list for a kidney transplant, but it could be years before he received a kidney, and time was not on his side.
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Photos by Dave Einsel
He suffered from debilitating kidney disease, and the couple was devastated to learn his wife was not a suitable donor for him. All four were unaware that kidney surgeon Dr. Osama Gaber was pursuing a solution that would bring the two families together for a storybook ending. Through his efforts, both families received a happily ever after but not in the manner they anticipated.
