‘We are family,’ says Saskatoon woman recovering from kidney transplant after placing ad on her car

It was an Easter for two families who didn’t know one another just eight months ago, to come together in celebration.

Over the weekend, 61-year-old Debbie Onishenko hosted 41-year-old Brent Kruger and his family for their first Easter together.

“Brent and I are now family. It’s not like we’re strangers anymore. We are family. And so that’s why he’s coming to Easter, and Allison – they get to meet more of my family,” she said.

Onishenko, who’s had Type 1 diabetes since she was a child, is recovering from a kidney transplant that took place on Feb. 28. Kruger donated one of his kidneys who he affectionately referred to as ‘stitch,’ after reading about her quest to find a donor.

“Stitch is working like a rock star,” laughed Onishenko. “Everything went really well. It was a marvelous feeling that it actually happened and it worked and I have a life ahead of me now.”

She said Krueger is her hero.

“He’s just the greatest guy in the world. It still doesn’t seem real how someone can actually give up a part of themselves to a stranger and it all worked out so perfectly.

“We’ve become really good friends. He’s like my little brother now, and we’re getting to know each other more and more. It’s just been an amazing journey,” said Onishenko.

Besides drinking two to three litres of water every day, Onishenko will have to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life. Kruger also has to drink several litres of water each day, and likened the surgery to “doing thousands of sit-ups in one go.”

“I was in the hospital for about five days,” he said. “From right after I got home to about three weeks, I had pretty low energy, but there was a moment… in the third week where I had no exhaustion after that.”

Kruger is back at work, and said he’s in better shape now than he was before the surgery. Over the last few months, he posted updates on his Facebook page called “A Miracle Journey,” including pictures of “Stitch” taken by a transplant nurse during the procedure.

“The gore and seeing the kidney out of me was kind of ugly, but all in all it worked out in Debbie’s favour for sure,” said Kruger. “It’s surreal to know that part of me is saving her (Debbie’s) life.”

The two say everything seemed to fall into place, and they’re thankful it all worked out.

“I feel God’s fingerprints all over it,” said Kruger.

“One step at a time and we’re going to live long, wonderful lives,” added Onishenko. “It’s a happy story. Things can work out really well.”