There are many factors to consider when deciding who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Have the two of you learned how to solve conflicts in a healthy way? Do you have fun together? Do you feel supported by them?
It’s important to dot all of your i's and cross all of your t's before tying the knot, as it can be devastating when your world is turned upside down after years of marriage. One man learned this lesson the hard way after getting tested to find out if he would be a suitable kidney donor for his wife. Below, you’ll find the full story that he posted on Reddit, as well as some of the replies invested readers shared.
This man decided to get tested to see if he would be a suitable kidney donor for his wife
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
But he never could have prepared for the information that the doctor told him
Image source: throwway_wifeismyHS
Image credits: Dev Asangbam (not the actual photo)
After deciding to go through with the donation process, the man shared an update on his situation
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
Image source: throwway_wifeismyHS
Recipients often have to wait 3-5 years before finding a kidney donor
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
In this story, the man shared that his wife is in need of a kidney transplant, which can be an extremely difficult position to be in. The American Kidney Fund notes on their site that, at any given moment, there are over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list in the United States. And the majority of people searching for a donor will have to wait between three and five years.
During this time, it’s crucial that those waiting for a donation stay as healthy as possible. This means regularly visiting the doctor, eating a healthy diet and taking medications on time. But because of the mystery surrounding when a donation will be available, this can be an emotionally exhausting time for recipients and their families.
Unfortunately, people are not given a donor solely based on how long they’ve been waiting, as many factors are considered before someone finds a match. It also depends on the age of the recipient, their blood type, the size of the donor’s kidney, how urgently the recipient needs a kidney and the distance between the recipient and the donor.
Because it can be so complicated trying to find an appropriate donor, the National Kidney Federation says that the most suitable donor is typically a brother, sister, parent or child of the recipient. However, more distant relatives and friends can sometimes donate as well.
While it must have been devastating for the man who shared this story to realize that he is related to his wife, this information might have saved her life by getting her a donor without needing to wait around for years.
The most suitable donors are typically relatives of the recipient
Image credits: National Cancer Institute (not the actual photo)
It’s also important to consider how giving up an organ will impact the donor, as it’s not an easy process for either party to go through. The American Kidney Fund explains that many tests and exams must be run to ensure that the donor is healthy enough to part with one of their kidneys.
There are potential physical risks that come along with donating a kidney, such as pain, bloating, fatigue, infection and nausea. Donors must also be careful with their alcohol intake after their surgery, as they’ll have to rely on one kidney staying healthy for the rest of their life.
Clearly, the father in this story truly loves his wife, as he was willing to undergo surgery that could potentially harm himself to save her. And surprisingly, they’re not the first couple to ever be in this situation.
But there’s a difference between finding out information like this a few months into dating and learning this after being married for years and building a family together. This couple is in love, and their children are happy and healthy. There’s no need to blow up all of their lives over this.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this complicated situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this father made the right choice by keeping this information to himself? Feel free to weigh in, and then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar issues right here.
Many readers agreed that it's not necessary for the author to blow up his whole life over this
And some were extremely skeptical that the couple is actually related
