Families to meet for first time after donating kidneys to each other

Four-year-old Emery Bock and Richard Thomas needed kidney transplants. Richard’s wife was a match with Emery and Emery’s mother was a match with Richard. All four had successful transplant surgery and met their donor family for the first time on November 23, 2020.

See their reunion here:

Video: Families to meet for first time after donating kidneys to each other

Meeting for the first time: 4-year-old kidney transplant recipient Emery Bock, kidney transplant recipient Richard Thomas, Emery’s mother Jamie McKenzie who donated her kidney to Richard, and Richard’s wife Hallie Thomas who donated her kidney to Emery. Also here for the reunion is Dr. Michael Angelis, transplant surgeon, and surgical director of kidney transplant.

More information about AdventHealth Transplant Institute’s living donor program can be found online. Support for the transplant program at AdventHealth is provided by the AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida.