You may remember a picture that went viral when a dad drove around in his SUV that said "daughter needs a kidney." Well, she got one.
Rhianna Seaborn said her best friend's mom, Tammy Hardaway, donated a kidney to her.
Seaborn found out her kidneys were failing when she was 10 years old. She's been searching for a kidney donor for decades.
Recently, her best friend's mom surprised her at a restaurant.
"When we went to leave, Tammy took off her jacket, and she had a shirt on that said 'I'm your donor,'" Seaborn said.
"I cried," Seaborn added.
Hardaway said she saw Seaborn's plea on Facebook begging for a donor.
She went through Vanderbilt University Medical Center, did testing, and was a perfect match.
"It's amazing," Hardaway said. "It's a miracle you get to assist God with, and besides having my children, I think that's the thing I've been most excited about in my life."
Photos: Local Mother Donates Kidney To Daughter's Best Friend
Seaborn and Hardaway's daughter were best friends and roommates.
"We were instant friends," Hardaway said. "My granddaughter, who was two at the time, was living there also. So she was just a best friend to my daughter and just a second mom to my granddaughter."
They had surgery on July 26 and are doing great. Seaborn made T-shirts for the occasion.
"Mine says, 'I saved a life,'" Hardaway said.
The transplant went smoothly.
"They were great. On time. Perfect," Hardaway said.
Seaborn said she feels like a new person.
"My energy level is through the roof compared to what it was," Seaborn said. "I remember telling you I could barely walk from my car to my house, and now I'm up when I feel like walking laps around my house."
As they continue to recover, they hope more people will look into kidney donation.
"She also gave me a necklace that has a tiny little kidney on it," Hardaway said.
"That's to replace the kidney that I took from her," Seaborn said.
"And I'm wearing it forever," Hardaway responded.
If you would like to be a kidney donor, you can start by filling out a survey on Vanderbilt's website.
Since she was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure, Seaborn hasn't been able to work.
She has a gofundme page set up to help her get back on her feet again.
She said she looks forward to going on her first vacation with her husband and two little girls now that she's better.
*NewsChannel5.com does not assure that the monies or donations deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a donation, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
