ORLANDO, Fla. — Two Florida families involved in a kidney swap now have a forever bond.
Their story is almost unheard of. Two women from different families each donated a kidney to save the life of the other's loved one.
Jamie McKenzie's 4-year-old daughter, Emery, has needed a new kidney since birth.
"Seeing the way that these she's struggled — struggled in life — nobody wants to see their child suffer," McKenzie said.
Emery's parents were unfortunately not a perfect match for a transplant, but Hallie Thomas was.
"This has been such a big journey for us," Hallie said. "I'm a teacher, so anything involving kids is a soft spot for me."
Hallie happily donated a kidney to Emery. And as luck would have it, Emery's mom, Jamie, was a match for Hallie's husband, Richard, who also needed a kidney.
"For as long as I have this kidney, for as long as I'm alive, that family and that gesture is going to mean a lot to us," Richard said.
A swap between families is rare, but to have all of the people involved living near each other is truly amazing. The families met for the first time Monday.
"A piece of Hallie is part of their family, and their family's a part of our family," Richard said.
"The anticipation of knowing who part of your body is with that family and part of their body is in my daughter now, it's a pretty crazy scenario," Jamie said.
Hallie said she will plan reunions for years to come to commemorate the occasion. And once COVID-19 isn't a concern, they'll have a much-anticipated embrace.