Cousin donates kidney to Shreveport police officer
By Brittany Breeding
Click here for updates on this story
SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — A Shreveport police officer is getting a gift that will change her life. Her cousin is donating a kidney to her.
Between March of 2022 and July, Shreveport police Officer Samantha Gwin started having some health issues.
“I just went to the hospital because I had, like, chest pains and then they admitted me and told me that I was in renal failure,” said Gwin. “But I was kind of scared. I didn’t know. I mean, I thought that I was healthy, honestly. I thought that I was just dehydrated.”
Her renal failure caused her to go on dialysis about a month ago. She now needs a kidney transplant, but instead of waiting potentially years on a donor list, her cousin decided to step up and help.
“She’s been much more like a sister to me than a cousin. So it was something like, she needs it, I have it, it’s going to be done. It’s time,” said Destiny Gwin-Phillips, who is donating a kidney.
Thankfully, Gwin-Phillips was a perfect match.
“I mean, we were both crying on the phone together,” said Gwin.
“It feels really good. It was something that I always wanted to do from the moment we found out that it was a possibility,” said Gwin-Phillips.
The transplant is scheduled for May 28 at Houston Methodist Hospital.
“It’s like another chance at life, literally,” said Gwin. “Since I’ve started dialysis, I’ve kind of been, I guess, pinned down. I have to go to dialysis three times a week. So just the thought of having that freedom back. I’m so thankful”.
Both women will have to be in the hospital for at least a couple weeks after the transplant. They’ve set up GoFundMe accounts to help with the cost.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
