CT woman donates kidney to NY woman in need

Uncasville, Conn. (WTNH) - It's a match made online, that could save a woman's life. A New York woman who needs a kidney transplant has found the perfect match in Connecticut.

A 51-year-old jewelry designer from New York City named Renee is very sick and needs a kidney transplant. She took a gamble and decided the way to find one was by listing herself on an organ donation website. The gamble paid off and she found a match in an employee at Mohegan Sun.

Why is this perfectly healthy supervisor at Mohegan Sun having surgery on Thursday?

A relative of Pam Duefrene's was once helped by a bone marrow donation from a perfect stranger. So when she recently got a clean bill of health, she went on a website called MatchingDonors.com to see how she could help someone else.

"Got quite a few responses back because I am O+, but there was something about Renee's story that really helped us create a bond,” kidney donor Pamela Duefrene explained.

Renee Tricarico has polycystic kidney disease, which means her kidneys are slowly shutting down. Renee and Pam started emailing and talking.

"She's somebody that's healthy. She doesn't smoke, she's not a drinker,” Duefrene continued. “You know, we both have so many of the same values, it really is a perfect match."

Doctors found their kidneys are a match, too. They'll go under the knife Thursday at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

It will give Renee a new life, and she calls Pam her angel. But Renee's brother has the same disease and needs his own angel. Pam hopes her story will encourage others to becoming living donors.

"You know, between bone marrow, kidney and liver, it's a great feeling, and you can help somebody out,” Pam said. “And you're not just affecting the recipient; you're giving their family more time with them."

If Pamela's story has touched you and you'd like to know more about organ donation, click here for more information.