What would you say if you had a chance to meet the person who agreed to save your life, even though they’d never met you or knew your name?
One October morning in Denver, Noemi Aguilar pondered what she would say moments before meeting the stranger who gave her the ultimate gift a few months earlier.
“I don’t think there are enough words in the English language to express my gratitude, my sense of wonder that someone would do that,” she said. “Every day I wake up and I’m just so grateful that someone was that kind to give me a chance.”
Noemi’s journey to that day began years earlier when she was told during a routine health exam that she had end-stage kidney disease and would need a transplant to survive. The news was especially difficult since her brother died waiting on a kidney. She couldn’t bear the thought of her parents losing a second child if she ran out of time too.
“When you’re facing a terminal illness, you really don’t know. You stop planning for the future because you don’t know what that will bring.”
Without a viable donor in her family, and facing a long waiting list, Noemi’s roommates helped her create a website to advertise her need. She worked with a videographer to tell her story in hopes that someone, somewhere would be inspired to help.
Five hours to new life
Meanwhile, Becky Bussey was already thinking about donating. She had heard a story on the news about living organ donation and it stayed with her.
“I thought it was amazing to see those people and wondered how they were able to do that,” Becky said. “So many people have done so many things for me that I felt I needed to give back.”
She reached out to Centura Transplant at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, where she was evaluated and told she would be a good candidate when a viable recipient was ready for transplant.
Noemi was referred to Centura Transplant too, and in June 2020, she received the call that changed everything. Soon, both women were in surgery, and Becky’s kidney was transplanted successfully.
“It’s a small incision and they pull it out through your belly button,” Becky recalled. “I feel really good. The scar from the surgery is getting really small, and this whole journey has been such a blessing. I’ve gotten way more out of it than I thought I would.”
Those feelings multiplied when Noemi and Becky finally got the chance to meet in October. Due to patient confidentiality, they didn’t know each other’s identities until they saw one another face to face.
“It’s so nice to meet you!” Becky said as she walked into the conference room where Noemi was waiting. “Someday I’m gonna hug you. It’ll happen.”
“Thank you so much. You don’t know how grateful I am,” Noemi replied.
Even though they had to stay six feet apart due to COVID-19 precautions, they instantly became close.
As they spent some time getting to know each other, Becky said: “I love your soul. We’re so lucky that we get to be a part of each other.” Then she added: “We want to do the Kidney Walk next year. Maybe I’ll get her out backpacking!”
“I was nervous when we were waiting,” Noemi said. “It was like a blind date. I can see the kindness emanating from her, so it’s been wonderful.”
Noemi said she hopes their story will inspire others to do what Becky did.
“I just hope that there are more kind people out there willing to give of themselves to give somebody else a chance at life.”
For more information on organ donations: https://www.centura.org/locations/centura-transplant/living-donor-kidney-transplant
