News

Actions

Woman surprises husband with match for kidney transplant

WMAR-Web_Promo_Image_960x720.png
Posted at 7:35 AM, Jul 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-12 07:35:27-04

A baseball fan who's been battling kidney disease for 14-years gets some very good news from his wife. Heather Winfree of Tennessee learned she was a perfect donor match.

She decided to surprise her husband with the news by making him a custom baseball card and sliding it into his collection. It had a picture of her husband, Steven, on it, and on the back it had a lot of baseball puns announcing the match.

"Steve's had a lot on his plate. With his health issues, he's been striking out a lot. He was not sure how he was going to wind up. His wife Heather thinks he is a great catch, so she's decided to go to bat for him. Now, Steve will be a rookie recipient of a transplant."

Steve couldn't finish reading the card before he broke down in tears in the now viral video. "Thanks for saving my life," Steve Winfree said. 

Heather said she was at work when she got the news she as a perfect donor match for her husband. Steve was diagnosed with kidney disease when he was 18; doctors told his parents he wouldn't live to 30.

"Of course I'm gonna donate a kidney because seeing how hard it is on a loved one, it just makes sense. I have two, he has one. I can function on one so I'm gonna give him my kidney," said Heather.

"My wife saved my life. I don't really know how I can thank you enough, but I want to try," Steve told his wife.

The Winfree's hope to have the transplant surgery at the end of the month.