(NECN/NBC: Kevin Lu) - Rose Olivares was fortunate to have a generous family member when her kidney failure required a transplant.
Her son, Felipe, took two months off from his job as a detention officer to donate his kidney.
"I went first, and they said I was a perfect match," he said. "So I said, 'Okay, let's do it.'"
The transplant was a success because the two patients were such a good match. A kidney going from the 170-pound office to the 130-pound home provider was an ideal pairing, especially since they are direct relatives.
"Rosa received a perfect kidney from her son - who's a male, and a big person, muscular person," aid Dr. Mourad Alsabbagh, the surgeon on the Olivares' transplant. "And so that kidney is really the perfect kidney."
But for hundreds of people on the kidney transplant, such a perfect match could be years away.
Dr. Alsabbagh has seen plenty of patients in need, and half of the people he treats have either hypertension or diabetes - two leading causes of kidney failure.
Local
He asks that everybody become a donor and make sure organs can get to those in need.
Watch the attached video for more.
