Before birth, Mia Orecchio was diagnosed with kidney disease and her dad immediately decided to donate his kidney. A year later, she's stronger than ever.
This Father’s Day, Mark Orecchio got what he has always wanted: his daughter’s health.
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Before his daughter Mia came into the world five years ago, she was diagnosed with a severe kidney disease, but that all changed last year when Orecchio donated one of his own kidneys in a life-saving decision he never questioned.
“In my head, when I found out she had the disease before she was born, I already decided I was going to give her the kidney,” Orecchio told InsideEdition.com.
After a blood test, Orecchio found out he was a perfect match for his daughter. But that came as no surprise to the devoted dad.
“I knew the whole time, even during the testing,” Orecchio said. “I kept saying, ‘I’m going to be the one.’”
The two celebrated the big news with a father-daughter trip to Disney World before the surgeries.
This past year has been filled with accomplished goals and activities that Mia could not have completed before, all under the guidance and support of her hero dad.
Since the procedure, Mia now balances her time between soccer, swimming, dancing and riding her bike.
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“Anytime I see her doing something she could not do before, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Orecchio told InsideEdition.com.
As for next year’s Father’s Day, Orecchio says there is only one gift request from his daughter in mind: “Stay healthy... Just live life.”
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