Angel with a kidney

Diana Owens, left, received a kidney from cousin Kay Mohr.

Most angels come with beautiful wings. Some come with beautiful kidneys.

I know one of those angels. Her name is Kay Mohr, my friend, and she just gave one of her precious kidneys to her even more precious cousin Diana Owens. It’s a story 30 years in the making.

Diana, who is now 63, was born with defective valves causing urine to backflow from her bladder to her kidneys. “It’s kind of like reflux,” she said. She knew her kidneys would fail someday – and when she was 33 that’s just what happened. Of the family members tested for compatibility, her brother Stanley Johnson and her cousin Kay, who is now 65, were good matches. Stanley was a slightly better match, so he donated a kidney to his sister. SR, Stefanie Pettit Read more.

Would you donate your kidney to a cousin or other relative? How about to a stranger?