Best friends become ‘perfect match’ for kidney transplant

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX/Gray News) - A Texas middle school administrative assistant is getting a new kidney thanks to a surprise by one of her best friends and co-workers.

KBTX reports Dawn Oden received her first kidney transplant back in 2014, which was donated by her brother.

However, this time around it was looking a bit different. Oden said she had a 22% chance of finding a match and was in need of someone to step up.

“Back in December 2020, I got COVID and I already had a transplanted kidney. I was doing well, but since I got COVID it’s been kind of a rough road,” Oden said.

The middle school assistant said she was worried about finding a donor until she got a surprise.

“We found out someone had stepped up but wanted to remain anonymous,” Oden said.

Little did she know her “anonymous” donor was one of her best friends, attendance clerk Jamie Alvarado.

According to Alvarado, she secretly went and got tested to see if she would be a match to donate her kidney, and she ended up matching.

“I knew it was a long shot, but it worked out,” Alvarado said. “We need her, her boys need her, her grandchild needs her. To have that opportunity to get to do that, whether it worked out or not, I knew I had to give it a shot.”

When Oden found out who the donor was, she said she was stunned.

“Shocked, but not surprised because that’s just the heart Jamie has,” Oden said.

On Thursday, students and fellow staff at College Station Middle School sent the two women off before the scheduled transplant surgery next week.

“I don’t know exactly how I would be handling it if I did not have the support system that I have,” Oden said.

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