NYU Langone: Living Donor Responds To Public Plea, Donates Kidney To Teen After Match Found 10 Minutes Away

44-Year-Old Stranger Donates kidney To 13-Year-Old After Family’s Public Plea

USA: A 13-year-old born with a congenital kidney condition faced rapidly declining function — down to 17% — and no match within his family, prompting his parents to make a public plea on local news and social media. The appeal drew the attention of 44-year-old Tim Fitzpatrick and his wife, who decided to be tested as potential living donors.

Tim Fitzpatrick, whose own son has faced health challenges, proved to be a compatible living donor despite the age difference. Surgeons at Hassenfeld children’s Hospital at NYU Langone performed the kidney transplant on March 23. The operation is part of living donor kidney transplantation, a procedure commonly performed laparoscopically and increasingly presented as an accessible option for suitable donors.

The two families met the day after surgery and discovered they live roughly 10 minutes apart, a surprising local connection that underscored the personal nature of living donation. Medical teams emphasize that adult kidneys can often be used for pediatric recipients when compatibility and donor health align, and that minimally invasive techniques can shorten recovery.

Donor recovery was swift: Fitzpatrick left the hospital after one night and returned to his normal routine within two weeks. The young recipient is recovering and looking forward to returning to school and riding his bike again. Both families say they hope the transplantation experience will encourage others considering living donation to explore the life-saving option.

Video originally published on 2026-04-10 12:10:00