SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — How far would you go to help a total stranger in need?
One Maine woman felt compelled to give a piece of herself to possibly save someone’s life.
Christine DeCosta is a driver for ModivCare in South Portland. She brings southern Mainers to non-emergency medical appointments and said she became heartbroken while listening to dialysis patients talk about their long and repeated treatments, or their time waiting on the kidney transplant list.
So, DeCosta decided to donate a kidney to a complete stranger who she’ll likely never meet. She went through with the procedure—her first-ever surgery—in early December. She’s been back at work since mid-January and was happy to have helped someone in need.
"I’ve been so fortunate to enjoy incredibly good health, so it is heartbreaking to know that they basically have a full-time job just keeping themselves healthy," DeCosta said of dialysis patients.
Her supervisor, Troy Johnson, shook his head and smiled when NEWS CENTER Maine asked him about Christine's sacrifice. He said most people who contemplate kidney donation would likely bow out after assessing their own personal situation. Then, he said, there are people like Christine DeCosta.
"There are people out there like her that are like, 'It’s fulfilling. It’s important to me to do this,' so they make that decision," Johnson said.