Daughter Secretly Donates Kidney to Father

When John Ivanowski learned he was going to need a new kidney, his daughter, Delayne, suggested donating one of her kidneys to him. But he was against it. “I’m like, ‘You’re too young, you’ve got a long time to be here and my time’s limited.’” But  Delayne wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Since John was diagnosed two years ago with IgA nephropathy, a type of kidney disease that can lead to kidney failure, Delayne had seen his quality of life diminish.

Delayne, a 25-year-old nurse at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, secretly started the process to see if she could be a suitable organ donor for her dad, all while living with her parents. She knew that without her becoming a living donor for her dad, he could wait years to find a donor.

It wasn’t until the day after the surgery that Delayne revealed herself as his donor by walking into his hospital room, as seen in this tearful video.

"I mean, I was upset but I'm so grateful. It's just hard to describe," John said. "Not to be hooked up to the machine anymore and be able to do what I need to do or what I want to do, it's just a big relief."

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