Great minds think alike. Especially if they’re related.
Two Illinois sisters gave the gift of life recently by donating their kidneys to total strangers 24 hours apart.
According to ABC News, Mark Goralski – the father of Bethany and Hannah Goralski – died in September 2018 after a long battle with kidney failure and Crohn’s disease.
Shortly before his death, Bethany said she was ready to donate her kidney to her dad but doctors told her “he wasn’t healthy enough for a transplant.” Her father had previously had a kidney transplant in 2011.
Wanting to make a difference, Bethany and Hannah decided to donate their kidneys to help others.
“We just want to make sure two less families had to go through what we went through,” Bethany, 25, told Good Morning America.
“You are just in a lull and a loss and you’re thinking about what am I going to do to stop thinking about this person,” said Hannah, 24. “My dad was always giving, he was always helping others. And I thought, ‘what a great way to honour him.'”
Hannah called Northwestern Memorial Hospital in October 2018 about anonymous kidney donations. This past March, the Goralski sisters had their kidneys removed.
Hannah said she knew her father “would be proud” knowing their deed will help save lives.
Bethany said she hoped she and her sister’s story will encourage others to become organ donors.
“I would tell them to do it, I don’t regret it one bit,” she said. “We’re young and healthy, so my recovery was only about 10 days.”
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