Ex-Wife Donates kidney To Husband’s Wife After Autoimmune Failure In North Texas
November 10, 2025 — by Transplant News
USA: A North Texas woman received a life-saving kidney transplant when her husband’s ex-wife emerged as the organ donor, turning a fraught blended-family story into a medical and personal turning point. Angela Maples underwent the transplantation after progressive kidney failure left her dependent on intensive dialysis; the donor was Amanda Macune, the former spouse of Angela’s husband, Joshua Maples.
The medical crisis began after a 2022 trip to Hawaii, when symptoms tied to an autoimmune condition with a genetic cause forced Angela onto dialysis. Clinicians ultimately declared both kidneys failing and began discussing next steps. Angela endured long dialysis schedules—up to 14 hours a day—while her care team searched for a compatible organ. A care coordinator later informed Amanda that she was not only a match but a perfect one, and she moved forward to donate.
The operation and early recovery have reshaped relationships inside the blended family. Angela and Amanda say their connection moved from co-parenting tensions to forgiveness and steady friendship, with daily check-ins and mutual support becoming routine. The couple’s teenage son and ten-year-old daughter have internalized the change, characterizing it as one mother saving the other. Both women reported profound personal growth through the process and now describe their bond in warm, familiar terms.
The transplant occurred three weeks before this report and both women remain in early post-operative recovery. Angela faces a continued rehabilitation period but is described as optimistic about regaining normal life and relief from dialysis. The case places the kidney transplant and donor-recipient match squarely at the center of a family’s healing, highlighting the medical urgency, the precise timing of a compatible donor, and the human reconciliation that made the operation possible.
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