Missouri man shocked to learn daughter is his ‘anonymous’ kidney donor
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A Missouri man was both grateful and concerned to learn that his daughter was his “anonymous” kidney donor.
John Ivanowski was diagnosed with a form of kidney disease known as IgA nephropathy two years ago, Good Morning America reported.
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One of the complications of the chronic illness is renal disease, at which point the kidneys no longer function.
His daughter, Delayne Ivanowski, wanted to donate one of her kidneys but her dad was adamantly against it.
So the 25-year-old came up with a plan to donate the organ secretly.
“I was like, ‘I’m going to do it. I don’t care how mad he is at me,’” Delayne said. “At least he’ll be living a good life and not hooked up to a machine.”
The 25-year-old nurse kept it all hidden for nine months as underwent the rigorous testing and procedures ahead of becoming a donor.
After one hiccup, the surgery was scheduled for Feb. 16, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by Delayne as a way to help pay their hospital bills.
The following day Delayne surprised her father without say a word – she just walked into his room wearing a hospital gown while attached to an IV.
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Delayne shared the video on TikTok and John’s reaction will have you complaining about something in your eye.
“Are you kidding me?” he asked before breaking down in the video that has more than 4.5 million views.
“Watch my dad find out that I was his anonymous kidney donor after keeping it a secret for 8 months,” read the caption.
“I knew right away,” John told GMA. “I was upset. I was just in shock.”
But he has since had a change of heart, admitting, “I feel so much better.”
Delayne’s GoFundMe has raised more than $12,500 for the surgeries that “insurance doesn’t cover” — three times what she had hoped for.
“As their daughter, I know how much they have sacrificed for me in my 25 years of living,” she wrote on the page, “and it is in my heart to want to do everything in my power to help them through this stressful time.”
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