Woman gives away organ meant for her to save stranger
DALLAS - After waiting a year to get to the top of the waiting list for a new liver, a woman made an incredible sacrifice for a stranger, one that doctors said they'd never seen before.
Brenda Jones, 69, opted to put herself back on the waiting list for a liver transplant in order to save the life of another woman who had a more urgent need. Doctors believed that Abigail Flores, 23, had at most 24 hours to live if she didn't get a new liver.
“The judgment behind it seemed very clear, but it still felt unorthodox nonetheless,” said Dr. Greg McKenna, a Baylor Hospital surgeon.
The liver was a match for both women. Jones said it was easy for her to make the decision to give the liver to Flores.
“In my heart, I wouldn’t have been able to live with the liver if I had let this little girl die," Jones said. "And I still had more time ... I would have been a very selfish person."
Jones was able to get a liver transplant a few days later. Both women are now recovering from their transplant surgeries.
"If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be sitting right here right now," Flores said. "I thank God for her each and every day."
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