Clifton, Illinois — A Facebook post asking for help changed the lives of two Illinois residents who had never met before. Molly Clyden donated one of her kidneys to Nick Bohn, a stranger suffering from stage 5 renal failure, giving him a chance to avoid years on the deceased-donor waiting list.
Today, the two aren’t strangers anymore. They describe themselves as “kidney buddies for life,” connected by a remarkable act of generosity that began with a simple message.
A Facebook Post Led to an Extraordinary Decision
Bohn, the third-generation owner of the Longbranch restaurant near Clifton, Illinois, learned that he was suffering from stage 5 renal failure. His family turned to Facebook in hopes of finding help.
Clyden happened to see the post. She had never met Bohn, but she said she barely needed time to think about what she wanted to do.
“I just read that he needed [a kidney], and I shot off a message right away,” she said.
That immediate decision eventually led Clyden through the lengthy process required to determine whether she could safely become Bohn’s living donor.
Her Reason for Becoming a Donor Started Years Earlier
Clyden’s willingness to help a stranger wasn’t completely unexpected. She had already carried a promise with her for years.
Her cousin had undergone two kidney transplants, and Clyden had once hoped she could donate directly to her. However, they were not the same blood type, making a direct donation impossible.
Instead, Clyden made herself a promise.
“I was unable to donate to her, as we were not the same blood type, but I did make a promise to her and myself that if the opportunity ever came up again, that I would jump on it and donate to someone else,” she said.
When Bohn’s need appeared on her Facebook feed, she finally had that opportunity.
Living Donor Meant Bohn Didn’t Have to Wait Years
Kidney transplantation requires careful testing because donors and recipients must meet compatibility requirements involving blood type and tissue matching.
For Bohn, finding a living donor could dramatically shorten the wait for a transplant.
“If I didn’t have a living donor, I’d have to go on the deceased donor list, and they told me right off the bat 3 to 5 years,” he said.
That delay could have made it much harder for Bohn to return to his normal life and keep up with his responsibilities at the family restaurant.
Dr. Nathalie Sela, a surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, said the kidney transplant waiting list remains substantial, with roughly 50,000 people in the U.S. waiting for kidneys annually.
Living Donor Kidneys Can Start Working Faster
Sela explained that receiving a kidney from a living donor can provide important medical advantages beyond avoiding a lengthy wait.
“With a deceased donor kidney, so a kidney that comes from someone who is deceased or dead, there’s about a 15 to 30% chance the kidney will be sleepy and not work right away,” she said.
In those cases, patients may temporarily need dialysis while the transplanted kidney begins functioning.
“With a living donor, the kidney works right away,” Sela said.
She also emphasized that people can live normally with one kidney.
“We only need one kidney to live, and God has given us a spare,” Sela said.
Clyden said her own experience has reinforced that message.
Two Strangers Become Family
Clyden said there are few restrictions on her everyday life following the donation.
“As far as an everyday life, they said there’s really only thing that I can’t do anymore, and it’s say that I have two kidneys,” she joked.
Her medical expenses were covered by insurance, while friends, neighbors and strangers helped with additional costs, including travel to Chicago for the transplant.
The communities surrounding both Clyden and Bohn also rallied around them. Neighbors brought food, offered financial support and even helped with everyday chores.
Bohn said his neighbors have been mowing his lawn since the summer began and refuse to let him take over the task.
For Clyden, the support has been overwhelming.
“I know I have another awesome family in my corner,” she said. “I come from a big family anyway, so what’s a few more?”
What began with a Facebook post has now created a lifelong connection between two Illinois families. One woman kept a promise she had made years earlier, and one man received a second chance from someone who had once been a complete stranger.
What would inspire you to make such a life-changing decision for someone you’ve never met? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
