A complete stranger gave a lifesaving kidney to a California 2-year-old after seeing his story on Facebook.
According to NYDN, Susie LeRoy, a 35-year-old mom of three from Fresno, donated the organ to the boy on May 28 after reading about his heartbreaking story on a social media page maintained by his mom.
“She provided Kaleb with a new life. It’s amazing to think someone who was a stranger to us a few weeks ago and would do that.”
Mandy Perry of Kingsburg chronicled her son Kaleb’s battle with prune belly syndrome and need for a kidney on a Facebook page called “A Miracle for Kaleb.”
“There are no words to show how much this means to us,” Perry told “Good Morning America.” “Her act of love and selflessness — to be humble and surrendering and trusting this is the right thing to do.
“She provided Kaleb with a new life,” Perry added. “It’s amazing to think someone who was a stranger to us a few weeks ago and would do that.”
Those who suffer from prune belly syndrome, which is more common in males, have a lack of abdominal muscles, causing skin on the abdominal area to wrinkle and look “prune-like,” according to the Department of Health & Human Services. The severity of symptoms can vary, with more serious issues including severe kidney and lung problems.
The Perry family had been searching for a kidney donor for their son for a year. The boy’s dad was not the same blood type as Kaleb and the toddler’s body would have attacked his mom’s kidney, “Good Morning America” reports.
Desperate, Perry turned to Facebook to make a plea for her boy. Several people responded and got tested. But LeRoy wrote back that she was a good match for him.
“It was an opportunity for me to help out another mom and act out my faith,” LeRoy told “GMA.” “Connecting with Mandy, who has kids of a similar age, this could’ve easily been my kids.”
Kevin Perry, Kaleb’s dad, said the child’s health was quickly declining before the transplant and that he was grateful it happened at the right time.
