In December of last year, Kristi Goll reached out to her Facebook friends in a desperate attempt to find a living kidney donor [1] for her 8-year-old son Jackson. She wrote that "social media has the ability to go a long way," but she had no idea that it would be the resource that would save her son's life. After nearly 1,500 shares, the post caught Lindsey Bittorf's eye. Lindsey, a police officer and mother, knew that she had the same blood type as Jackson and wanted to be the one to give the little boy a new kidney.
Beth Gerndt Spaith, a transplant nurse coordinator, said that many people had contacted the University of Wisconsin Transplant Program, and Lindsey was confirmed to be a good match for Jackson [2]. "All along, I thought this was fate," Lindsey told UW Health.
Although she had never met Jackson's family, it turned out that Lindsey and Kristi had mutual friends, and soon they would be connected more than ever. After finding out that she would be the one to donate her kidney to Jackson, Lindsey decided to surprise the family one day after work. Lindsey and her husband, who's also a police officer, knocked on the family's front door to share the good news. Luckily for us, the special moment was captured [4], and it was incredible.
"After months of searching for a kidney donor for Jackson . . . I can say 'the search is over!!'" Kristi wrote on Facebook [5]. "I can't even put into words how amazing of a gift we are receiving from this amazing person. She surprised us after work today and I still feel in shock. Jackson is so excited and says, 'I think my new kidney will make me run faster!' Today you became our hero."
The best part is, Lindsey presented Jackson with an adorable plaque that read: "Jackson, I took an oath to serve and protect my community. My kidney will now be able to serve and protect you. I am your kidney donor! — Officer Lindsey Bittorf."