When John Evanowski’s kidneys began to fail and he needed a transplant, the most likely donor match was his daughter, Delaine. But Ivanovsky would have no part of it.
Although her daughter didn’t understand why she was so adamant about not taking her kidney, Ivanovsky said her reluctance was due to the family’s previous loss.
“That’s the only thing I got,” Ivanovsky said.
Fifteen years ago, Evanowski’s son, Dawson, had died of cancer, so the thought of her daughter’s surgery, even if it wasn’t a risky operation, was more than she could bear.
Steve Hartman / On the Road
Fortunately, a donor stepped forward – an anonymous living donor who was living in her basement.
Unbeknownst to her father, Delaine Evanowski worked with the transplant center at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis last year. He tested and went through the protocol to prepare for the donation, fooling his father until the very last moment.
When she found out what her daughter had done, Ivanovsky said she didn’t know how to feel.
“I started crying,” she said, “it’s hard to process everything.”
Steve Hartman / On the Road
Anger and gratitude have never been as intertwined as they were in that moment, Ivanovsky explained, but as time has passed, gratitude has long since overtaken anger.
Delaine Evanowski says she’s glad she was able to save her father.
“I would do it over and over again if it meant saving his life and keeping him here with me,” she said.
To contact On The Road, or to send us a story idea, email us: OnTheRoad@cbsnews.com.
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