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How Social Media Helped a UVA Kidney Transplant Patient

When Tory Kemp found out he would need a kidney transplant, a friend of his posted Kemp’s story on Facebook.

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Nikki Ward saw the post and immediately responded. She and Kemp had gone to a Virginia Beach area high school and although they knew of each other, the two ran in different circles. Now, a few decades after graduating, their paths would cross again.

Kemp was a patient at UVA Transplant Center. After an in-depth physical exam, Ward was told she and Kemp were a match. On December 29, 2014, Ward donated a kidney to her former high school classmate. The surgery was a success for both donor and recipient.

The experience has brought the two together as friends. Each month, Kemp texts Ward on the 29th day thanking her for what she has done.

Watch the living kidney transplant story.

Tags: transplant

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