The lives of two men were saved thanks to fate and a random conversation between two coworkers in the women’s bathroom.
Susan Ellis and Tia Wimbush had worked together in the IT department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for years.
The two women ended up bonding over the fact that both of their husbands needed kidney transplants after they suffered renal failure around the same time.
“We were washing our hands and we started having the conversation about where my husband and I were in the transplant evaluation process,” Wimbush told USA Today. “We started talking about blood types and Susan mentioned that her husband, Lance, is O negative and it was like a light bulb moment went off in my head.”
That’s because Wimbush is blood type O.
And it just so happens that Ellis is blood type A.
Miraculously, Wimbush’s husband Rodney was in need of a kidney with someone who has blood type A.
That’s when they realized that Ellis could donate a kidney to Wimbush’s husband and Wimbush could donate to Ellis’s husband.
“It took me a few minutes to really wrap my brain around the magnitude of what she was saying,” Ellis told 11Alive. “And then I walked away with extreme excitement about the possibilities.”
What’s even more amazing is how rare Lance’s blood type is.
While his blood is able to help anyone, there’s only a 7 percent chance that he would find a kidney with his same blood type.
“So the likeliness of Tia and Lance being similar and the exact same blood types was, was amazing,” Ellis said.
Both women were amazed about how everything perfectly fell into place.
“There are so many similarities in our stories with Lance and Rodney from when they went into renal failure, the timing, most everything what are the chances that we are here, and we’re not meant to help each other in this moment,” Wimbush said.
While Wimbush could have just donated to her husband, she decided to help her co-worker because she could.
“To have such an unselfish gift, to give you another shot at life, I mean it’s the greatest thing,” Lance Ellis said. “It is something you can never take for granted.”
Wimbush says the pleasure was all hers.
“I felt exhilarated,” she told FOX 5 Atlanta. “I felt exhilarated because of what we had done. Because I was able to donate my kidney to Lance, and just the magnificence of God, if you will.”
While both families were overjoyed that their prayers had been answered, they both hope that their story sends a very clear message.
“There’s a story of kindness,” Wimbush said. “Of checking in on each other, of connecting with people. People matter. No matter what they look like, what their race, what their religion. We all matter, the same, we’re all in this together.”
The women had their surgeries on the same day and were welcomed back by a whole crew of staff members at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta when they returned after recovering.
“You learn a lot about yourself and your resiliency, your faith, your friends, your family,” Ellis said.
Learn more about this incredible story in the video below.
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