Michigan wife selflessly volunteers to donate a life-saving KIDNEY to her mother-in-law
- Abbey and Neil Sladick of Norton Shores, Michigan, were married last year
- While they were dating, his stepmother Cheryl Sladick was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that has obliterated her kidneys
- She was told she would have to be on dialysis for the rest of her life without a transplant, so 30-year-old Abbey stepped up to be tested
- Abbey, who married Neil, 36, one year ago, is scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids
Valerie Siebert For Dailymail.com
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When a Michigan man married his soulmate last year, he had no idea that he had also found the person that would save the life of his stepmother.
Neil Sladick of Norton Shores recently celebrated his one year wedding anniversary with his wife Abbey, whom he had only been dating for a year when his stepmom, Cheryl Sladick became ill with Goodpasture Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that has ultimately robbed her of proper kidney function.
Eventually, she was told that she would need a kidney transplant, or be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
Happy couple: Abbey and Neil Sladick of Norton Shores, Michigan, were married last year, and now Abbey is donating a kidney to Neil’s stepmother
Thankful: Cheryl Sladick suffers from Goodpasture Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that has ultimately robbed her of proper kidney function, leaving her needing a transplant
That’s when Abbey stood up. She insisted on being tested right away after hearing the news. And, to the surprise of the whole family, she was a match.
‘It turns out we’re a five out of six antigen match, which is basically one of the best matches you can get,’ Abbey told FOX 17 News.
‘The doctors actually thought we were biological mother and daughter… All the pieces just kept falling into place, and so I knew it was just meant to be.’
The news was made even more baffling by the fact that not Cheryl’s daughter nor any over her grandchildren were a match for the donation.
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Quite a gesture: Upon hearing the news, Abbey didn’t hesitate to have herself tested for the surgery
Lots of love: Abbey became emotional describing how she was going to ‘share her spare’ with her mother-in-law
Loved up: Abbey has been blogging about her experience, and hopes her gesture will encourage others to think about donating
‘I was so thrilled, and I started crying,’ Cheryl said. ‘It’s just a wonderful thing. And really, until it’s given to you, you have no idea, what a gift of life it is… Abbey’s giving me my life back.’
Abbey was due to have surgery on Monday at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids, and has been keeping people updated online through her blog and on Twitter.
In her most recent post, she revealed that she was ready to give a kidney whether or not she was a match – assuming that if she found someone else who needed a kidney and giving could help move Cheryl up the list.
‘I figured if I wasn’t a match for Cheryl, I could offer up my kidney to a stranger, then she would get pushed up to the top of the list to receive a donor and when a match came about for me, the stranger would receive my kidney,’ she wrote.
A miracle: The news was all the more miraculous given that none of not Cheryl’s daughter nor any over her grandchildren were a match
Going in: Abbey was due to go under the knife on Monday at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids
Looking ahead: Cheryl plans to go on a road trip down Route 66 and spend more time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren
But that was not necessary as Cheryl and Abbey were miraculously a match – and Abbey couldn’t be more excited to help her mother-in-law live a happier life.
‘It’s just surreal, I guess, to be able to give to someone. It just doesn’t seem real,’ she said. ‘But she would do the same thing for me. There’s no question that it’s supposed to happen.’
Abbey also hopes that her gesture and talking about it online will encourage others to consider becoming a living donor.
As for Cheryl, she is already making plans for her post-transplant dialysis-free life. They include plenty of quality time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and a road trip down Route 66.
‘There’s really no words that really say thank you enough,’ Cheryl explained. ‘It’s giving me my life back. How can you say thank you enough for giving you your life back? How can you do that?’
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