'I submitted the paperwork right away': Wife donates organ to husband diagnosed with kidney disease
Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos have been married for 20 years, and their bond is now stronger than ever.
When George found out he would need a kidney transplant, Aimee donated one of hers.
"Like my kidney is right there,” she said.
“It’s so weird you’re over there but your kidney is right here,” George said.
The pair went through two major surgeries, both lifesaving if successful.
Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos head into surgery. (Courtesy Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos)George was diagnosed with kidney disease, just three days after their third son Mateah was born.
"It was daunting, it was heartbreaking, trying to support your husband but you have three little babies like our oldest wasn't even five,” Aimee explained.
Aimee said she wasn’t surprised to hear the diagnosis, as three other family members were also battling the disease.
"I submitted the paperwork right away,” she said.
Aimee hoped she would be a match, and she was.
“Our youngest is 11 and she needs her dad like our boys need their dad,” she said.
After learning in 2019 he needed a transplant, George then found out he had heart disease.
Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos head into surgery. (Courtesy Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos)Doctors said open heart surgery would have to be done first, before he could receive the kidney transplant.
"We knew there was going to be a lot of ups and downs. I just dealt with it one day at a time,” George said.
After dialysis, heart surgery and six months of testing for the transplant, on May 18, Aimee was rolled into the operating room at London’s University Hospital.
George followed behind.
"I was very excited when the surgeon came in and said everything went really well,” George said.
The couple hopes their story will show how donations do save lives.
"Please take that step, make your family aware of your wishes and register at beadonar.ca,” Aimee said.
Aimee Omstead and George Egglezos show their matching surgery scars in Kingsville, Ont. on Friday, July 29, 2022. (Stefanie Masotti/CTV News Windsor)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.