A video has captured the heartbreaking moment a dad found out that his anonymous kidney donor was his daughter
Many of us would do anything to help our loved ones, but sometimes they may refuse to take our help. Perhaps this is why Delayne Ivanowski - who goes by the handle @delayne_i on TikTok - secretly donated her kidney to her father John Ivanowski.
According to KMOV4, the father was diagnosed with an immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency - which caused his immune system to bombard his kidneys.
For over a year, he spent three to five hours a day tied to a dialysis machine which prompted his daughter to offer her kidney as it wasn't the "right quality of life".
Watch the heartbreaking video below:However, he was adamantly against Delayne's medical proposal, saying that she's "too young" and has "a long time to be here" while on the other hand, his time is "limited".
But, the doting daughter did not take no for an answer and contacted a coordinator to get some examinations done. She soon became an approved donor and kept her secret safe for eight months leading up to the surgery.
The transplant day came and went and it culminated in this beautiful moment that was shared on TikTok and has now garnered 18.8 million views and 2.1 million likes on the social media platform.
In the footage, Delayne walks through the door and John is immediately overcome with emotion, saying: "Oh my God, are you kidding me?" She then slowly walks over to him and reassures him that "it's okay".
Understandably, many viewers were moved by the clip and shared their heartwarming responses in the comment section. One user penned: "She had to do it secretly, or he would have NEVER excepted her kidney."
Another said: "As a child, without a parent bc he refused to accept his kid’s kidney & is now gone, thank you for doing what I begged & pleaded for. Miss him always."
A third person commented: "SHE IS A WONDERFUL DAUGHTER WITH GOLDEN HEART AND I AM SURE HER FATHER HE IS THE SAME KIND OF PERSON...WELL DONE THIS IS TRUE FAMILY LOVE..GET WELL."
A fourth user added: "He's devastated, but I hope he understands that she would've been devastated if he died while she knew she could've done something about it."
Delayne posted the same video on her page in hopes of raising enough money to pay for her father’s transplant surgery. According to her onscreen text, if 6,000 people donated only $1 to her GoFundMe she would reach her goal.
Amazingly, she received $8,960 in donations - which means she has exceeded her original target.
The father spoke about the successful operation to KMOV4 and said that he ultimately feels thankful that his daughter became his donor.
"Not to be hooked up to the machine anymore and be able to do what I need to do or what I want to do, it’s just a big relief," he said, while Delayne added: "If you are going to give a kidney, it is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give in the world. It’s literally like donating life."
