A life saving kidney donation a big thanks to TikTok! Can you believe that?
Life Saving Kidney Donation
University of Oklahoma student Katie Hallum received a life-changing kidney transplant thanks to a TikTok video which you can see below. Diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease called IGA nephropathy, Hallum posted a video on the site as a joke, never imagining it would lead to finding a donor. But Savannah Stallbaumer, a stranger from Topeka, saw Hallum’s video and felt compelled to offer her kidney.
Even knowing that the transplant might not work or could only provide a temporary solution, Stallbaumer still wanted to go through with the transplant, saying that if it only bought Hallum a couple of years, it would be worth it. She surprised Hallum with the good news that the surgery was going to happen while she was out to lunch with her family. The emotional moment was captured in a now-viral video.
The young ladies underwent successful transplant surgery in August. They’re both doing well now and have formed a unique bond. Hallum has been able to go on with her life and is working as a reporter and continuing her studies, and Stallbaumer has started nursing school. Hallum expressed her gratitude for being alive and credits both her donor and TikTok for the miraculous turn in her life.
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See The Viral Videos
There are GOOD uses of the internet, believe it or not. I feel like apps like TikTok get a bad reputation even though there is a lot of good that happens there. Sure, like any app, there are going to be bad things that happen. That’s a given. But stories like this remind us of the good uses of social media. Check out the videos below and thank you for listening to The Andie Summers Show.
