24-Year-Old Man Receives Kidney from Soulmate He Met on Dating App
- Reid Alexander was lucky to join a dating app that not only led him to his soulmate but also a kidney to replace his which was damaged
- He revealed that it never occurred to him that he would meet a partner who not only made him happy but was also a match for his kidney
- The transplant was recently done, and the two are currently recovering as they look forward to a happy future together
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When 24-year-old Reid Alexander joined Tinder in search of a soulmate, it never occurred to him that he would find more than he bargained for.
This is due to the fact that he found love as well as a perfect match for a kidney transplant he required.
PEOPLE reports that Reid is still coming to terms with chronology of events that offered him both a new husband and a second chance at life.
"I never would've thought that I would move across the country and meet the love of my life, and then the love of my life would also be a perfect match, and I would get a kidney," he said.
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Alexander's health problems started at age 17 when he was diagnosed with Alport syndrome, a genetic condition that destroys the blood vessels in the kidney.
The effects, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), include loss of hearing, kidney disease, as well as kidney failure.
Love on Tinder
When he graduated from college, Alexander's doctors informed him that his kidney operations were at 20%, which meant that he needed dialysis while awaiting a transplant.
In the meantime, the young man moved to Denver where he logged into Tinder and started a conversation with Rafael Dìaz.
"We started chatting on Tinder in August 2020. Both of us were impressed with each other," he said.
The two hit it off and started spending most of their days together as their relationship continued to blossom.
Alexander quickly disclosed his medical history, aware that his partner would soon find out given that he always had hearing aids and suffered salt intolerance.
Support from Dìaz
After sharing the news, Dìaz promised to support Alexander as his dialysis neared.
To show that he was serious about the partner, he offered to find out whether he was compatible enough to be Alexander's kidney donor.
"I just said, 'I want to. You are someone that I want, that I love, so I can do it for you," said Dìaz.
"I was like, 'No, you don't have to do that. But he was very determined," Alexander added.
That set in motion a chain of events that saw the pair get engaged as well as go for tests to determined Dìaz's compatibility.
That same month, they also exchanged vows in a low-key ceremony to save money for Alexander's transplant.
Perfect match
Tests confirmed that Dìaz was a perfect match, which opened doors to them setting August 13th as the transplant date done at Indiana University Health hospital.
Dìaz admitted that the procedure was painful but he would willingly do it again.
"It's not only because I love him so much, but it's also because I will be able to share life and enjoy this feeling that made him happy," he maintained.
According to Alexander, there is little he can say or do to show his appreciation towards his husband given that he made the ultimate sacrifice.
The couple is currently recovering at Alexander's parents' home in Indiana but are looking forward to going back to Colorado.
"I think that the next step for us in this journey is to enjoy as much as we can because we never know what can happen next," Dìaz underpinned.
They hope that their story goes a long way in raising awareness towards organ donation and its importance to those in need.
Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.