OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Ellen Kempf and Daryl Duchatschek are both from Oshkosh and have been bonded together by their life-changing journey - to get Duchatschek a new kidney.
Kempf says she met Duchatschek while the two were working together eight years ago.
She says the two didn't know each other well at first, but that all changed last year when Kempf heard Duchatschek, who suffers from a condition called Tuberous Sclerosis, needed a kidney replaced for the second time.
Kempf, who says her motto is "give generously with reckless abandon," says she knew she had to help Duchatschek, even though she didn't know him particularly well at the time.
"You would donate to your mother, or your kid, or your spouse, so why stop there?" Kempf said. "If somebody else could benefit from that, let's give it them to."
After Kempf agreed to donate, the two underwent testing where they discovered they did not match. Fortunately, the two were able to participate in a "paired exchange" program, where Kempf donated her kidney to a third party, allowing Daryl to receive a kidney from a matching donor.
The two underwent surgery at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee last Wednesday, and say they've both been released and are in recovery now.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 100,000 people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant and Daryl wants to encourage people to show others the same kind of love Ellen has shown him.
"A lot of people could really learn more about organ donation...it's not as scary as people think it is," he said. "Look at the end result," he continued, "I'm gonna be healthy again, all because Ellen was willing to take that step."
Duchatschek and Kempf say they've been drawn a lot closer through their shared journey, going from work friends, to the closest of friends.
"I never would have thought, come this time, where I'm getting that second transplant, that it would be [Kempf]," said Duchatschek. "She was willing to step up to the plate and help me."
For her part, Kempf says she'd be "100% willing" to do it all again.
Daryl and Ellen have set up a GoFundMeto help pay for expenses related to the surgery.
Anyone interested in learning more about kidney donation can visit The National Kidney Foundation's website.
