Thanks to the altruistic gesture of one of them, an unlikely friendship was born between two strangers who lived 500 km apart. Emmanuel Deyrieux generously donated his kidney to Frédéric Marchand in Quebec on December 11th.
Just a few months ago, the two men didn't know each other. One lives in Trois-Rivières, the other in Matane. But now something connects them for life.
“In March, an angel appeared to me and told me that Emmanuel wanted to give me a kidney. “My life was really on hold, I was on the grid for ten hours every night,” admits Frédéric.
“It is an extremely big gesture. It gives life, prolongs life,” said the father 48 hours after the operation.
The latter had suffered from polycystic kidney disease since he was 20 years old.
For him, the year 2023 was marked by the start of hemodialysis, the removal of a kidney and the hope of finding a donor, which was possible thanks to social networks.
His wish, formulated on Facebook, reached Emmanuel, visibly touched by his new friend's situation.
“I continue my life as before. I don’t lose anything,” says Emmanuel.
“The fact of changing someone's life and building such a beautiful friendship is extraordinary!” he exclaimed.
The Hôtel-Dieu de Québec performs an average of 80 kidney transplants per year, 20% of which are living donations.
“We want this to represent 50% of our transplants because it is the best solution for patients. The results are even better,” says Dr. Julie Lesage, nephrologist at the CHU de Québec.
– With Andrée Martin
For the full report, watch the video above.