Homepage / Health

MySpace Friend Gives Woman Kidney

'She Was More Than A Perfect Match,' Diana Phillips Says

POSTED: 8:52 pm MST June 16, 2009
UPDATED: 9:00 am MST June 17, 2009

A friendship formed on MySpace may save a Scottsdale woman’s life.

Diana Phillips will undergo a kidney transplant Wednesday morning.

The kidney she’s receiving is from Ann Francis, a woman Phillips met on MySpace a few years ago.

“Even if I never needed a transplant, even if I never had kidney issues, I would just want to be her friend,” Phillips said.

Phillips first requested to be Ann’s fiance Kent Ward's friend on MySpace.

They are both passionate about drag racing, and Phillips had admired a picture of a car Ward raced.

"It was Mopar sublime green and it was '71 Chevy Nova,” Phillips said.

Ward, who was living in Johnson City, Tenn. at the time, gladly accepted Phillips’ friend request.

"We always thought of the car as a bad luck thing because it kept breaking down in Tennessee,” Francis said.

“We definitely can't get rid of it now,” Ward said.

The Internet friends chatted for more than a year before the subject switched from cars to kidneys.

Phillips is on dialysis; her kidney had failed because of a rare blood disease, and only a transplant could save her life.

“I could live three weeks, three years -- we don't know,” Phillips said, “I don’t like to think about it."

After Phillips said she was type O-negative, Francis offered to find out if she could donate.

“I know she needs it, and I know, obviously, I can get along without it,” Francis said.

The results of the blood tests stunned everyone.

“Not only was she approved. She was more than a perfect match. She matched better than my own brother,” Phillips said. “I thought this was like a one in a million in a opportunity for someone and I was the lucky recipient."

During the process, Ward and Francis decided to move from Tennessee to Scottsdale.

Francis had always wanted to live in Arizona, and the couple also wanted to be closer to Phillips and her husband Angelo.

"She is basically like a sister now,” Francis said.

“Even if I never needed a transplant, even if I never had kidney issues, I would just want to be her friend,” Phillips said.

Francis and Phillips will undergo the transplant surgery at the Mayo clinic.

It will take surgeons about an hour to take the kidney from Francis’ body and give it to Phillips.

Links We Like

Sponsored Content
The first step in reducing debt is recognizing how much you have. Let us help you with the rest and get out from under your debt in 12 months. More

Get the world's first bake, slice and serve brownie maker and bake the perfect brownies every time. More

Get car insurance quotes from all the major carriers and save time an money in the process. Just enter your zip code and start saving today. More

A degree from ITT Technical Institute can help you achieve your goals and get you started on the path towards a rewarding career. More

Sponsored Links

Get Healthy!

Many seemingly healthy foods are actually bad for your heart. Learn how to replace the imposters with nutritionally rich foods. More

Consumer Info



Sponsored Content Provided by ARA
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters