'Meant to be': Friends reconnect for first time after kidney transplant surgery

It's one of those stories where you have to see it to believe it.

FOX 17 first introduced you to Veronica Seaman and Mandi McMeeken in November 2023. Veronica was in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

Unlike many, her search for a donor didn't last long, with a near-perfect match coming from none other than her friend and the mother of her step-son.

'Meant to be': Greenville friends reconnect after kidney transplant surgery

This week, FOX 17 met back up with both of them to see how they were doing after the operation. It just so happened to be their first time seeing each other since leaving the hospital as well.

"Ironically, it's my late husband's birthday today," Veronica said on Tuesday.

That man how these two came to be friends in the first place. Now, they have something else in common.

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"I think mine says, 'I shared my spare.'" Mandi said, referring to the custom shirt she was wearing.

"Mine says, "I run on spare parts,'" Veronica said, reading her own shirt. They were both made by Veronica's daughter.

After getting diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease in 2022, Veronica started her search for a donor.

That search didn't last long, as she quickly found a match. However, the person it would come from was the bigger story.

Michigan woman receives life-saving kidney transplant from late husband's ex-girlfriend

“The kidney transplant place said that it was as perfect as it could be for non-relatives," Veronica said. "Even better than some related people.”

After two months of mental preparation, the time had come. On January 15, they both went under the knife at Trinity Health.

"I remember I was confident that, you know, like God's got me, but at the same time, I was terrified," Veronica said. "I was worried for (Mandi) because I didn't want anything to go wrong for either one of us.”

Veronica made it through a few post-op complications, and now, Mandi's kidney is saving her life.

“I guess I don't really consider myself a hero," Mandi said. "I consider myself a friend.”

Veronica considers Mandi even more than a friend.

“We’ve decided against huge Christmas presents this year and instead are investing in a family vacation, which they’re joining," Veronica said, looking at Mandi. "We are going overnight to a waterpark. I told her, like, 'You’re family now.'"

The two admitted noth much else has changed about their friendship. They've always felt close, although it's hard to get any closer than this.

"I've always known she was remarkable. Just now even more so," Veronica said.

They both hope their story can inspire others out there to become donors. In fact, Mandi has a friend who's been battling Chronic Kidney Disease for seven years and still hasn't joined the 93,000 people on the national waitlist.

According to the National Kidney Foundation , it takes an average of three-to-five years, sometimes longer, to find that perfect match.

You can find out and learn more through Trinity Health's Kidney Donor Program by clicking this link .

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