'It’s just a miracle': Saskatoon woman finds kidney donor after advertising search on her car
After months of driving around the city with an advertisement for a kidney donor on her bright red car, Debbie Onishenko will soon be able to rip off the decals as her search has ended.
Last summer CTV News Saskatoon published a story about Onishenko’s search, which caught the attention of Brent Kruger. He realized he had the same blood type as Onishenko and knew he had to reach out.
“It was clear to me that I had to do it. I would be very upset with myself if I didn’t at least try because if there was a chance that I was a match and I didn’t do it, I don’t think I could live with myself,” Kruger told CTV News.
Between August and January, Kruger says he had at least 40 vials of blood taken for tests, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds and more to see if he was healthy enough to donate a kidney.
He had only spoken to Onishenko over the phone until they ran into each other at St. Paul’s Hospital while they were doing some testing.
Saskatoon's Debbie Onishenko is getting creative in her search for a transplant donor. (Keenan Sorokan/CTV News)
“First thing we did was grab each other and hug. We stopped crying and it was amazing to actually meet him in person after just having talked over the phone or through messenger,” Onishenko said.
Kruger says he got the official call last week, receiving the good news that he was a match and a potential kidney donor for Onishenko.
“It’s just a miracle, you think with all the people that live in Saskatoon and there were only a couple few people that called about it. To find out that I actually had a match is unbelievable,” Onishenko said.
While surgery hasn’t been scheduled yet, the pair and their families have gotten to know each other and are well on their way to a lifelong friendship. Kruger says his wife and Onishenko share the same love for Harry Potter.
The pair hopes their story inspires other people to donate whatever they can to a person in need such as blood, plasma and bone marrow.
Onishenko says the experience has changed both their lives for the better.
“I didn’t expect it to have the impact on me that it did. I just went in it for Debbie,” said Kruger.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey
Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.