Bob Parczewski put a sign on his truck three years ago asking for a kidney and it eventually led him to his saving grace, but now he's changing it.
"I'm changing it from I need a kidney to I got a kidney. Under that I'm going to put I believe in miracles, I believe in angels because I know one," said Parczewski.
That angel is Kim Zielkiewicz, a postal worker in East Aurora and once was a stranger to Parczewski less than a month ago. Despite knowing nothing about him she volunteered to be his living organ donor.
"I had a donor lined up back in May and for one reason or another and it didn't work out, I kind of lost hope there for a little while," said Parczewski.
His rare kidney disease was on a steep decline, deteriorating his body, but Zielkiewicz came right on time. She gave Parczewski one of her kidneys less than a month ago and now they're both on the fast track to recovery.
"I'm healthy. I'm fine. I'm on the mend. It's definitely something that's changed my life in a good way," said Zielkiewicz.
They said the doctors at ECMC were so impressed as to how well the kidney transplant went.
"As soon as we put it in and connected it, it started working immediately like it was meant to be there," said Parczewski.
They were meant to be in each other's lives. It's clear in the way they describe how they first met after the transplant was finished.
"We hugged," said Parczewski. "Not many words were said right then and there it was just a hug."
It's mutual that their bond needed no words.
"You didn't need words to express that moment for sure," said Zielkiewicz. "Definitely something I'll remember."
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