Stranger donates kidney to local woman, best friends share story 3 years later

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Two strangers from the same area, connected by a single kidney. 

“We’ve got a forever connection, she’s my kid sis,” said Renee Nally. 

Bowling Green resident Cindy Murphy found out she had kidney failure in 2017.

“I went in thinking I was gonna get medication and he said honey you’re at 23% function and we put people on the list at 20%. In 2 years your kidneys will fail,” said Murphy. 

 After waiting a year…she was finally put on the waitlist for a kidney in 2018. She found a match shortly after. 

“I had a match and I was so extremely excited. Then it fell through a week later. I was in dialysis when they called me. I was devastated,” said Murphy. 

Desperate, she posted about her situation on social media, hoping she would find a match….Smiths Grove Resident and Med Center Health employee Renee Nally came across it. 

“I actually shared it and moved on. Not that my heart wasn’t touched by it, but other things happened before I actually responded to it, I kept seeing it. I just felt like there was something bigger than myself that compelled me to be involved,” said Nally. 

They met in person June 3, 2019. July 15, the day of the kidney transplant, was the day both of their lives changed forever. 

“It gave me a second chance, my life, to do something with. Ya know, I’m here for my children’s Christmases, graduation, I didn’t know I would be here so it’s really humbling and a huge gift,” said Murphy. 

Fast forward three years later, they’re best friends. 

“I gave her a kidney, this is true, she gave me a puppy. So I think we’re even,” Nally laughed. 

They want to encourage other people to be an organ donor. Click here for more information.