By writer to www.usatoday.com
Within the span of roughly a yr, Reid Alexander and Rafael Díaz met and acquired married – and Díaz donated a kidney to his new husband.
Alexander advised USA TODAY that he and Díaz matched on a relationship app in August 2020 in Colorado. However Alexander quickly advised him about his Alport syndrome, a genetic disease that causes damage to blood vessels in the kidneys, amongst different signs.
“I defined to him what was happening with my kidneys and every little thing as a result of he actually favored to prepare dinner, and I actually favored to prepare dinner,” Alexander mentioned. “So we’d prepare dinner collectively, however I needed to inform him to not put an excessive amount of salt on my meals as a result of I wasn’t allowed to have salt.”
In September 2020, simply weeks after they began relationship, Alexander needed to have surgical procedure to put together for dialysis.
Díaz stepped in to assist as Alexander recovered.
“He stayed on the hospital for me and drove me house and every little thing,” Alexander mentioned. “He’s the primary individual to ever get me flowers, so, yeah, I form of knew he was the one.”
The couple was engaged in February and married in April. Alexander and Díaz saved their marriage ceremony ceremony small with the intention to pay for the surgical procedures, however they plan to have a bigger bash in a yr or two.
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Simply after their marriage ceremony, Díaz formally started testing to find out if he may be Alexander’s kidney donor, and the outcomes confirmed he was a match.
Although their hospital in Colorado first advised the couple that they’d not be capable of carry out the surgical procedure, they pursued medical doctors in Indiana, the place Alexander is from.
In early June, two surgeons and a nephrologist from IU Well being advised the couple that they had been assured within the surgical procedure. The surgical procedures had been carried out in August, and Alexander and Díaz advised USA TODAY that they’re each recovering nicely.
Among the many roughly 6,000 dwelling donor transplants within the U.S. annually, practically 800 are from a companion or partner, CNN reported.
Alexander mentioned it’s “loopy how briskly I really feel like I’ve recovered,” although he nonetheless has some limitations. Díaz mentioned he’s joyful to see his husband enhance.
“I’m simply so glad,” he mentioned. “I’m so glad to see Reid all day and see how good he’s doing.”
Díaz known as it “wonderful” that folks might be organ donors and “change the life of 1 individual.”
“It was one of the best expertise in our life,” Díaz mentioned, noting that he would do it yet again if given the prospect. “It’s simply unimaginable.”
— to www.usatoday.com
