(WXYZ) — It’s not just blood that makes people family. For Susan Tower and Roosevelt Williams, it was luck.
“She gave me a kidney. It’s unbelievable that a stranger would do that for somebody,” Roosevelt said.
But the pair are now far from strangers. Instead, they consider each other family.
“She calls me her little brother now and that’s my big sister,” Roosevelt said.
The two met at Beaumont Hospital just a few weeks ago, but their connection dates back to September of 2021.
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“So I saw the original video last September on Channel 7 and I was like, 'hey, I’m type A. He’s type A. Why not?' Why not just see if I can do this,” Susan said.
Last September, 7 Action News outsourced on the airwaves to help Roosevelt find a kidney. That’s how Susan came in contact with him.
“It almost feels like it was destined in a way. I feel like I’ve known these people my entire life,” Susan said.
Roosevelt, who’s spent that last few years of his life on dialysis, says he was desperate to return to good health. When he heard that Susan wanted to donate her kidney to him, he cried all day.
“I appreciate Susan,” Roosevelt said. “I was so emotional.”
But for Susan, giving up a part of herself felt like a no-brainer.“
We have spares for a reason I think,” she said. “I can make a difference so why not.”
A few years ago, Susan planned on giving up one of her kidneys to her sister. Unfortunately, she passed away before any surgery could take place.
“When she went in for the test to find out if we can start the process they found cancer and she died two months later which is actually three years ago today that she passed away, so it was always in the back of the mind that I could do this. I could help somebody,” Susan said.
Roosevelt’s wife calls Susan the blessing they’ve been praying for. The strangers turned family say they feel blessed to have found each other.
