United Airlines flight attendant Jair Ripoll was diagnosed with a hereditary kidney disease. So he urgently needed a transplant. Finding a match from the official government organ-donor lists could take years. So he followed his friend’s suggestions and turn to social media.
Ripoll posted his story on Facebook, but he could never have expected the response he received. He was surprised to see the first reply from his friend and fellow flight attendant, Steven Lepine.
“I thought, ‘We probably won’t be a match, but this is something that I can do as a human being,’” Lepine said. “That’s the way my parents raised us, to lend a helping hand.”
Amazingly, Lepine was a perfect match. The surgery took place on December 6, 2017 and was successful. Both of them have since been able to return to work, and Jair says the incident made their friendship stronger.
“I don’t want to think about where I’d be,” Ripoll said. “I’m so grateful to God that he took that big step to save my life.”
This flight attendant donated a kidney to his co-worker
United flight attendant donates a kidney to his co-worker: "You never know where your angels are out there!" https://gma.abc/2yPyFv7
Posted by Good Morning America on Thursday, June 28, 2018