Back in 2004, Jeffrey Granger, 59, from Wascissa, Florida received a pancreas and a kidney from the late Bryan Herrington after the latter died from a work-related accident.
But when Jeffrey learned his kidney was failing once again, Bryan’s wife Terri decided to step in.
After Jeffrey, received Bryan’s kidney, 49-year-old Terri kept in touch with him and last year learned that it was now failing, and he was having to go back on dialysis.
Jeffrey then took to social media to share the news with the hope of finding a new donor. Terri saw it and replied to the post with, ‘You’re getting mine.’
Jeffrey initially thought Terri was joking, but she reassured him that she was serious, and explained that she had already been considering becoming a living donor anyway. Terri was then tested to see if she was a match, and miraculously she was.
On March 3, the two underwent successful surgery and were both out of hospital after three days.
In a video for University of Florida Health, Terri said:
“After Bryan’s death, I had to take a different approach toward what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
When he passed away 15 years ago [now 16 years], he had already decided to be an organ donor – one of his recipients was Jeff, and he got his kidney and his pancreas.
Within a month of Bryan dying, we had gotten our first letter [from one of his organ recipients] and hearing how much their lives had changed – and the fact that my husband didn’t take them with him and that he gave them to someone else – was a healing process and stuff for us.”
Jeffrey now describes Terri as an ‘angel’ after she gave him another chance at life.
“This girl was an angel. She’s a single parent, and God’s gift of a parent, too. I don’t know how I could then her, or repay her for such a wonderful, life-giving gift. It’s kind of a miracle, you know?” Jeffrey said.