A true act of altruism

If it wasn’t true, it would be unbelievable.

Dan Stafford has his new kidney. Not from a brother, a cousin or

even a deceased donor.

He got his kidney from 25-year-old Tiana Bryant of San Clemente.

She barely knew of him from her father’s restaurant, the Coyote

Grill, where she works as a waitress.

It was there that her manager showed her the article about

Stafford’s need for a kidney. It was then that the seed was planted.

She didn’t say, “I hope somebody does something.” Bryant went out and

did it.

She underwent plenty of evaluations to determine if she was

physically and mentally capable of donating her kidney. She convinced

her father that she could be healthy and active with one kidney. Then

she called the Staffords and told them the unbelievable news.

Unbelievable because there are plenty of people who don’t even

want to mark the donor circle on their driver’s license, much less

give an organ while they’re still alive -- to someone they barely

know.

So young Tiana Bryant has just made a move that means Dan Stafford

can skip the years of dialysis while he awaits a kidney from a

deceased donor. And hopefully this healthy kidney will bring him

years and years of happy and healthful life.

If all goes as planned, Stafford will back on the surfboard soon,

Tiana Bryant will receive the positive karma she just earned by her

unselfish gift and she will continue to be proud of her new scar.