A California man unexpectedly saved two lives. to donate his kidney.
It all started when Clay Galcelli's brother, Carter, needed a kidney.
Garcelli, 26, said he had already decided to become a donor when he heard the news that his brother was in good health.
“For me, it wasn't really a question of whether I was going to do it or not,” he told ABC News' Eliel Reshef. “I just knew I was going to do it and I wanted to help him get as healthy as possible and do the things he wanted to do in life.”
Their journey was initially hit with setbacks when preliminary tests showed that Galceri was no match for his brother.
But the UCLA Health System offers a kidney exchange program that would allow Garcelli to donate his organ to a stranger.
Garcelli's donation of his kidney ensured that his brother would receive a matching kidney from another source.
In December, Garcelli donated a kidney to Sonia Grover, 57, who had been waiting for a match for almost 10 years.
In an interview with “GMA,” Glover heaped praise on Garceri, calling her “my angel.”
“I told him and his wife that we are forever connected,” she said. “You'll get random cards from me, and so you're like my family now.”
Sonia Glover, 57, received a new kidney donated by Clay Garcelli.
Courtesy of Sonia Grover
Garcelli and Glover didn't meet each other until after his surgery. Their emotional first meeting was filmed and Share on social media.
The video shows the two embracing each other and Glover can be heard telling Garcelli, “Thank you so much. Thank you so much, it really means a lot.”
“I'm glad you're feeling really good,” Garcelli told Glover in the video.
While Garcelli and Glover were reuniting, 22-year-old Carter Garcelli was still undergoing dialysis at home and looking forward to the fight.
“I didn't realize how sick I was because I was so used to not feeling very well,” Carter Garcelli told ABC News.
In February, Carter Garcelli received a new kidney from an anonymous donor.
“I feel great. I can go out again and do stuff. I feel great,” he said after the transplant.
Carter Garcelli said he always looked up to his brother growing up, and now he's forever grateful for all Clay Garcelli did to help give him a new start in life.
“I can't thank him enough for what he did,” he said. “What he did literally saved my life. I can't thank him enough.”
Glover also expressed his gratitude to his two brothers.
“I can't express to you how grateful I am to Clay and my brother,” she said. “They started this whole process and I'm so grateful from the bottom of my heart. I can't thank them enough.”
Just days after his transplant, Glover revealed that his granddaughter was born at the same hospital, telling “GMA” that she's having an amazing year.
As for what others might learn from this story, Dr. Jeffrey Veal, who performed the transplant, added that the gift of organ donation is color blind and organs are not black or white, “kidneys are pink.”
