Christian Donates Kidney to Dying Stranger, Thanks to 'God's Direction'
A generous Christian has donated her kidney to a complete stranger and says it was God that told her to do so.
Veronica Buttigie of the U.K. met 49-year-old Manoly Viravong at a party where she learned that the dialysis patient was dying, according to Mail Online.
Buttigie, a former teacher, was deeply moved after she discovered that Viravong would die without a kidney transplant.
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The mother of two offered one of her kidneys after hearing that Viravong's brother, who was the original donor, had backed out at the last minute.
"I could tell she felt hopeless. Suddenly I just blurted out "would you like one of mine?" she said.
"I’m a Christian and I knew God was telling me to do this- and I also knew I’d be alright. I didn’t have a second thought once," Buttigie told Mail Online.
Although Viravong was on a kidney transplant waiting list she still faced the prospect of dying, as there was no guarantee that she would find a matching donor.
Viravong, who is a married mother, was left disappointed after her brother traveled all the way to the U.K. from Laos to donate his kidney, and returned home after getting cold feet.
Viravong was in disbelief when the good samaritan offered to help save her life.
"At first I thought [Veronica] was probably joking, but then when she pursued it I realized she meant it," Viravong said.
"I've said to myself a hundred times, ‘What if I hadn't gone to that party?’ I was feeling really ill that night and I could have easily not gone. Thank God I did," Viravong added.
Despite Buttige's generous offering, Viravong did not allow herself to get lost in the excitement as she knew there was still a possibility that Buttigie may not necessarily be an ideal match. In order for a kidney transplantation surgery to be successful, both the donor and recipient must be ABO blood group compatible to reduce the chances of kidney rejection.
"I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, as there was a big chance her kidney wouldn't be a match for me because of our ethnicity differences," Viravong said.
Ultimately the operation was a success, and both ladies are said to be in good health.
Viravong said Buttige's kind gesture was life changing, "I no longer need dialysis and, for the first time in a long time, I'll be able to fly home to see my family."
"I don't know how to thank Veronica for what she has done," Viravong added.
