A story that started as a call for help is now one step closer to a happy ending.
Debbie Onishenko is looking for the one kidney Donner, after battling kidney disease, is going so far as to put a decal on his car asking for help. At last his call was answered.
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“It’s a God-given miracle, they’re the most amazing people that would do this, and Brent is just my angel,” Onishenko said.
After Onishchenko’s story came to light in August 2022, she said she received phone calls from a group of people; Some are in the same situation as him, and others, like Brent Kruger, want to help.
“When Brent called me, it was amazing, it was like a miracle.”
Kruger had to go through a lengthy testing process to confirm that he had a compatible kidney.
“Brent called me himself and told me he was a match. I was just crying, it was unbelievable, it was the best news I could have ever received,” Onishenko said.
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Kruger said it all happened when he was scrolling through local news online one night when he found Onishenko’s story.
“Debbie’s story came straight to me. I read it, and something sparked in me and said I have to try and call the number,” Kruger said.
He said he knows family friends who need kidney transplants, and that’s what got him thinking about getting tested.
The testing process lasted from September to January.
Kruger said, “From beginning to end, I probably had 40 vials of blood taken.”
“I did CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray, breathing test.
“You name it, I did it.”
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The two met during the testing process, with Onishenko saying they had gone in for crossmatch blood work, not expecting Kruger to be there at the same time.
“All of a sudden Brent yelled, ‘Debbie!’, and I turned and I recognized his voice because we talked on the phone. And I went, ‘Brent!’, and I just cried, and we hugged, and this together It was a wonderful moment to be able to meet.
With tests confirming everything, it’s now a waiting game for Onishchenko and Kruger, as they stand in line for a surgery date waiting for a phone call.
Both the donor and the recipient are hoping that this story sheds light on the need for charity.
Onishenko said, “Hope people will understand all this, see the miracle of helping each other.”
“I’m just the guy who made the call,” Kruger said.
“I would encourage anyone to consider any kind of donation. Donate blood, plasma, bone marrow, we have a kidney to give. You need to give.
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