// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Mum's Facebook kidney plea prompts 'mind-blowing' gift from total stranger
Gary Summerfield told his family "this lady needs one of my kidneys more than I need two of them"
A woman who shared a desperate plea for a kidney on Facebook has undergone a lifesaving transplant after a stranger offered to be her donor.
Karen Davey, 41, had exhausted every avenue before turning to social media, where she said she did not "want to leave her family without a mother".
Gary Summerfield saw the mum-of-four's post and, after learning he was a match, donated one of his kidneys via an operation in July.
"I thought this lady needs one of my kidneys more than I need two of them," said Gary.
Karen's family said they would never be able to repay Gary for his generosity, adding that it had given her "another chance to be a mum".
The average wait for a deceased donor kidney transplant in the UK is two to three years, according to NHS Blood and Transplant, but if you have a living donor it can be about three to six months.
Karen says she feels "100 times better" following the transplant in July
This was Karen's second lifesaving transplant. She underwent a heart transplant 10 years ago, after having a heart attack aged 31 while watching her son play football.
A transplant increases the risk of infection because of the medication patients need to take following the procedure, and complications led to Karen developing kidney failure.