Woman saves man's life, then his daughter's life 6 years later
As a paramedic, saving people is Kristi Hadfield's day job.
That's how she came to save a father in West Virginia named John Cunningham back in 2016, according to The Washington Post, which reported the story Wednesday.
"When he went into cardiac arrest, I remember being in the back of the ambulance and I was like, 'Not today John, not today,'" Hadfield recalled.
Hadfield stayed in touch with Cunningham through social media, as she often does with former patients.
When Cunningham's daughter, Molly Jones, posted on Facebook about needing a kidney six years later, Hadfield happened to see the request and decided she would also help.
Jones, 42, was ill with advanced kidney disease in January 2022.
When her kidneys worsened, she went on social media to share she needed a kidney transplant.
"And when I posted it, all of a sudden I just got this message from Kristi," Jones said.
Hadfield explained, "I messaged her and I said, 'Hey, I've got your kidney here.'"
"She said to me, 'Listen, kid, I saved your dad and I'm going to save you too,'" Jones added.
About one-third of kidney transplants in the U.S. come from a living donor, leading to average shorter wait times for recipients of kidneys, but testing is required and rigorous, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
After Jones opened up on Facebook, another four months passed and her health continued to decline.
"I was trying to figure out who was going to take custody of my daughter because I didn't think I was going to be there anymore. And Kristi’s going, 'Don't you give up on me. Don't you give up on me,'” Jones recounted.
Hadfield was eventually cleared to donate and the two women met for the first time a week before the transplant procedure.
"It was nothing short of fantastic," Jones said of meeting the woman who would later save her life.
The transplant went as planned and was successful.
"It was amazing. I felt like I was alive again. The difference is just unbelievable. Kristi gave me back my life," Jones said.
Hadfield called Jones "a fighter."
"I'm glad to have her in my heart and I'm glad if somebody had my kidney, she's the one that has it," she said.
Jones said she feels incredibly grateful toward Hadfield, who not only saved her life but her father's life too. Hadfield, on the other hand, said she is just happy she could help.
