Jacksonville, Fla. — A Middleburg woman is being called a hero. She gave a piece of herself to save the life of a veteran battling kidney disease.
Fawna Moore donated a kidney to Vicki Beecher after learning about a program that matches donors with veterans in need.
The surgery was done at the Mayo Clinic last week.
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Moore said, “They contacted me like really quickly, within a couple of days. And they said we have the perfect person.”
That perfect person was Beecher - an Air Force veteran from Melbourne. She had been on a transplant list for three and a half years.
Beecher said, “You’re on dialysis and you’re waiting. You’re on the transplant list, but you’re just waiting. You never know when the wait is going to end.”
She said her illness put her life on hold. Then, she got a call from the Dove Transplant Program saying it had found a match for her.
“It’s just crazy to me to think that there are such good people out there willing to give you a piece of their body and she doesn’t even know me,” Beecher said.
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Moore, who comes from a military family, said this is something she’s always wanted to do. “I’ve had a bunch of family members and friends who needed transplants and never got them.”
Once her recovery is complete, Beecher has a lot to look forward to. She said, “I’m looking forward to getting back to traveling and getting on an airplane and going somewhere.”
She’s looking forward to a longer life - with a new life-long friend.
“She is my hero,” Beecher said.
She also said there are 100,000 people on a waitlist for a new kidney in the U.S. If you’d like to become a donor, click here for information on the Dove Program.
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