According to Alyssa Lalmond, the kidney donor's daughter, this joyous moment is the culmination of a year-long secret.
Some surprises are just better than others. This was the case when Carrie Kimball from New Hampshire offered one of her kidneys to Robert Scarborough.
And, of course, he was emotional and stunned by the kind gesture.
“He’s been in need of one for a while now, so my mom started testing over a year ago,” Alyssa Lalmond, Carrie’s daughter, said. “It took so long because of COVID. Trying to get into hospitals, trying to get appointments, get all the testing that she needed to get approved.”
In a video shared on TikTok, Alyssa’s mom Carrie bounces with excitement before sharing her big news with Robert. She did it by holding a sign for him that said, “I’m Your Kidney Donor.” Afterward, the tears of joy began.
According to Alyssa, this joyous moment is the culmination of a year-long secret. “We didn’t tell anybody prior, in case it didn’t work out. We didn’t want to get any hopes up.”
Thirty-three percent of American adults are at risk for kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation, with diabetes and high blood pressure being two of the leading causes.
Lucky for Robert, Mayo Clinic says getting a kidney from a living donor has “better short and long-term survival rates” than the emergency surgery required with a deceased donor.
“My mom really wanted to show people that if you have the chance to donate, you should do it,” Alyssa said. “You are potentially saving a life or extend someone’s life for the better.”
