A life-saving liver transplant brought together two strangers in an emotional reunion after a successful organ donation. D’Angelo, 49, met Katie, the woman who donated a portion of her liver to him in a partial transplant last October. D’Angelo had been battling a chronic autoimmune disease that damaged his liver’s bile ducts, leaving a transplant as his only chance for survival.
Katie, a local mother, volunteered to become a living donor after seeing a social media post raising awareness about living donations. She underwent testing in September and learned in early October that she was a match for D’Angelo. Despite not knowing him, she agreed to proceed with the surgery.
Doctors at the Henry Ford Center for Living Donation performed the partial liver transplant successfully. The center’s efforts enabled D’Angelo to begin his recovery and regain hope for a healthier future.
The reunion marked not only a milestone in D’Angelo’s journey but also highlighted the power of living organ donation and the role of awareness campaigns in connecting donors with those in urgent need.
