At A Bellingham Charity Event, The Emcee Meets His Kidney Donor
BELLINGHAM (CBS) – Chris Thompson was in need of a life-saving kidney donation. Little did he know, a woman he had only seen a few times would donate the gift of life to him.
At a charity event in Bellingham, Thompson was ready to meet his donor.
"I am the emcee. At the same time, in the back of my head, I am, like, I am meeting my donor today," he said.
Thompson, of Sturbridge, recently received a kidney from a living donor. He had no idea it was someone he had met in passing.
Like Chris, Debbie Gambone, of Fitchburg, donates her time to the Michael J. Drinkwater Memorial Golf Tournament.
The organizers shared on social media that Thompson needed a kidney. He had already been on the donor list for two years and was on dialysis three days a week.
"Once I was a match, I had to really contemplate moving forward, but looking at Chris and his family on Facebook, I felt really compelled," Gambone said.
The two said they are doing well post-surgery. Because Gambone and Thompson are not relatives, there was a 1% chance Gambone would be a match.
"I didn't change the world, but I changed the world for one person, and it's incredible," Gambone said.