NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Middle Tennessee couple is celebrating the holidays with renewed hope after receiving what they call the best Christmas present they could ask for — their health.
Up until last month, Victoria and Wayne Thornton faced serious medical challenges that threatened to derail their lives.
Victoria needed a kidney transplant, while Wayne required double-bypass open-heart surgery.
"I did home dialysis, and it took up our complete lives," Victoria Thornton said.
In early November, Wayne underwent his heart surgery at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville.
"I had to have them crack the chest, and jumper around the blocked arteries," Wayne Thornton said.
While Wayne recovered in the ICU, Victoria visited him before heading home for the night.
"I went to see him, he was in good hands, I said, 'I'm gonna go home,'" Victoria said.
At 2:30 in the morning, the hospital called with what Victoria initially feared was bad news about her husband.
"It's that middle-of-the-night phone call that you panic at," Victoria said.
Instead, she received unexpected news that would change her life.
"The girl on the line said, Miss Thornton, we have a kidney to offer you," Victoria said.
After waiting nearly three years for a kidney transplant, the timing seemed almost impossible to believe.
Even Victoria's surgeon was amazed by the coincidence when he heard about it from Dr. Amber Edwards, who operated on Wayne for his surgery.
"I was actually wondering, is she punking me, or is this really true? Because for her husband to have such a major operation, not only on the same day, but in the same hospital, was really a rare occurrence,” said Dr. Jacfranz Guiteau, a kidney transplant surgeon with Ascension Saint Thomas.
The couple shared an emotional moment before Victoria's surgery.
"They let us hug before she went into surgery," Wayne said.
For several days, both recovered in the same hospital, separated by just one floor.
“My daughter would go upstairs, and she'd take care of him for a while, and then she'd come back downstairs and give me a report," Victoria said.
The Thorntons were discharged on the same day, ready to begin their recovery together.
"It has been the best Christmas present anyone could have given me. We don't need any Christmas presents," Victoria said.
The couple now looks forward to reclaiming the life they had put on hold.
"Now we're getting our life back," Victoria said.
Victoria Thornton’s life-changing surgery was possible due to organ donation.
Click here for more information on organ donation from Ascension Saint Thomas.
This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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