In an extraordinary sequence of events, a remarkable woman has emerged as the guardian angel for one family, rescuing a man from a life-threatening situation and six years later saving his daughter's life.
Six years ago, Kristi Hadfield was a paramedic who saved John Cunningham's life when he was having a heart attack. "When he went into cardiac arrest, I remember being in the back of the ambulance and I was like, 'Not today John, not today,'" Hadfield recalled. She performed chest compressions until he got to the hospital. Fortunately, they "were able to get him back."
Hadfield kept in contact with Cunningham through social media, as she often does with former patients. She also became Facebook friends with his daughter, Molly Jones, after Jones sent her a friend request.
Six years later, Jones shared on Facebook that she was officially on the kidney transplant list. She was ill with advanced kidney disease. Although she found it hard to ask for help, she went on social media to see if anyone would consider donating.
"And when I posted it, all of a sudden I just got this message from Kristi," Jones, 42, said. "I messaged her and I said, 'Hey, I've got your kidney here'," Hadfield recalled.
"She said to me, 'Listen, kid, I saved your dad and I'm going to save you too'," Jones added.
Hadfield was eventually cleared to donate and the two women met for the first time a week before the procedure. Happily, the transplant was successful.
"It was amazing. I felt like I was alive again. The difference is just unbelievable. Kristi gave me back my life," Jones said.
Jones said she feels incredibly grateful toward Hadfield, who not only saved her life but her father's life too. Hadfield, on the other hand, said she is just happy she could help.
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