A Kelowna, B.C., woman has a second chance at life thanks to a living donor, an Alberta woman who was a complete stranger. Lyndsay Richholt, who was living with end-stage liver failure from autoimmune hepatitis, received the life-saving transplant at Vancouver General Hospital.
Richholt, who had been given only six months to live last April, met her donor, Robyn Ralph, 54, two days after the surgery. Richholt described the meeting as an "emotional, spiritual moment," calling Ralph an "angel on Earth."
Ralph was moved to donate after seeing a social media post about Richholt's critical condition. She felt compelled by her faith and a shared maternal connection, noting Richholt's son was turning 15.
Richholt's transplant journey was marked by a long wait, exacerbated by the MELD scoring system, which she believes doesn't always accurately reflect the severity of autoimmune liver disease. She plans to advocate for changes to the system.
Both women are recovering at VGH, forging a lifelong bond. Ralph's only request for repayment was for Richholt to live a full, healthy life. Richholt is already experiencing significant improvement and looks forward to reuniting with her family and returning to her job and social life.