Mother Of Two Saves Life Of Police Officer She'd Never Even Seen Before

Feb 21, 2019 by apost team

Abbie Dunkle single-handedly became the hero of a lovely Missouri family early this year when she committed a highly selfless act of kindness for a perfect stranger. Old Monroe police officer Ryan Armistead needed a kidney, and help came in the form of the charitable mother of two from Illinois.

When Abbie read about Ryan’s medical struggles and need for a kidney transplant, she was tested and found to be a match. Upon his diagnosis, Ryan was told to prepare for a wait of up to seven years.

apost.com

It was four years ago that he went to a physician due to recurring headaches and discovered that his kidney were functioning at only 13 percent. He began dialysis immediately and started a routine of going three times per week for four hours. However, that was eventually bumped to 15 hours.

Not wanting to miss that much time with his family, as he was still working as a police officer, he opted to obtain an in-home dialysis machine. The $30,000 monthly cost placed a major financial strain on the family, so they launched a Facebook page and a GoFundMe account to raise funds and spread the word about Ryan needing to find a match.

When Abbie Dunkle learned of Ryan’s need, she was happy to be tested and even happier when she learned she was a match. She had wanted to be a donor for years, and she finally got her chance. Ryan said to the Inside Edition about the couple‘s reaction to Abbies‘s message; 'I literally fell to me knees and broke down in tears. So did my wife.'

It was January 22 that the transplant took place, but Abbie met the Armistead family just before Christmas. They got along well in person and the transplant went according to plan. They are now an extension of each other’s families and happy to have met under such remarkable circumstances.

Abbie gave Ryan the greatest gift imaginable. Let us know in the comments what has been the greatest gift you've ever received. Be sure to tell others about Abbie’s altruistic gift to inspire compassionate acts of kindness, both big and small.