HEALTH & FITNESS

Daughter donates kidney to mother through Living Donor program in time for Mother's Day

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Daughter donates kidney to mother through Living Donor program

Ndeye Ndiaye-Epmbaye was desperately in need of a new kidney, but her daughter, Aicha Djitte, wasn't a match.

HACKENSACK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A mom and daughter from New Jersey are now joined together in more ways than one.

Ndeye Ndiaye-Epmbaye was desperately in need of a new kidney, but her daughter, Aicha Djitte, wasn't a match.

So instead, Djitte opted to donate a kidney to a stranger in Minnesota so that her mom could get a kidney in exchange.

This is how the Living Donor program works.

A handyman was honored to donate his kidney and pay it forward after another member of the community helped him out in his time of need.

Her mom, in turn, got a kidney from another stranger.

"She was very happy, but also emotional and worried, that her daughter would be the one giving a kidney and not really knowing what would come next," Djitte said.

The mother and daughter, originally from Africa, are now recovering well after their surgeries at Hackensack University Medical Center and are looking forward to celebrating a happy and healthy Mother's Day together!

"We know that we have to be successful, we have one chance for success and when we see stories like this -- you couldn't have a better feeling," Hackensack Medical Center Surgeon Dr. Ravi Munker said.