Many of us would do anything to help a close loved one. But many of our loved ones, god bless ‘em, often refuse to take our help.
Perhaps this is why Delayne Ivanowski, who goes by @delayne_i on TikTok, secretly donated a kidney to her father John, and her video of him finding out is capturing millions of hearts online.
According to CBS News outlet KMOV4, John was diagnosed with an immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency, causing his immune system to attack his kidneys. For over a year, he had spent three to five hours a day hooked up to a dialysis machine. Wanting her father to have a better quality of life, Delayne wanted to offer her kidney immediately.
John, however, refused. “I’m like, ‘You’re too young, you’ve got a long time to be here and my time’s limited’,” he told News 4.
Not taking no for an answer, Delayne contacted a coordinator and got some tests done. After becoming an approved donor, she kept her secret safe for eight months leading up to the surgery.
And then, transplant day came and went, which culminated in this beautiful moment:
@delayne_i watch my dad find out that I was his anonymous kidney donor after keeping it a secret for 8 months 🥹 grab a tissue! ##fyp##kidneydonor ♬ original sound – Delayne
As soon as his daughter walks through the door, John is overcome with emotion.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Delayne reassures him.
Understandably, people were moved by the clip.
“The gratefulness yet worry in his eyes [is] so sad yet so beautiful,” one person commented.
“It’s truly such a beautiful story of love and sacrifice. We hope they both get well and strong soon!” said another.
Many could understand why Delayne had to remain anonymous. One person wrote, “It’s true, most parents would never take an organ from their child. Just in case something ever happened to them.”
Another added, “He wouldn’t have taken it if he had known.”
Delayne posted the video partially in hopes of raising enough money to pay for her father’s transplant surgery. According to her onscreen text, if 6,000 people donated only $1, that would cover the cost.
If you’d like to donate, you can find their GoFundMe page here.