She gave her best friend the gift the life - 10 years later they are still celebrating. They're this week's KRLD DIfference Makers.
You might say Mona Liza Morris and Jenny Ross couldn’t be any closer after Jenny donated her kidney to her best friend in 2011.
Ten years later, they are still celebrating.
Dallas resident Mona Liza Morris was facing a grim reality ten years ago.
“My kidney’s failed me due to Lupus, which is an autoimmune deficiency disease, which means my body decided to treat me, as a whole, as an enemy and decided to attack all healthy cells in my kidneys and basically shut down my immune system ,” Mona Liza said.
Without, a kidney transplant, her future was bleak.
But her best friend Jenny Ross immediately stepped up to help. The two had been best friends for more than 20 years.
“My best friend said yes to giving me a kidney transplant, after asking all of my family,” Mona Liza said. “We went through a rigorous testing and I said, I don’t think I want you to do this. What if your kids need your kidney or your husband? And she said, ‘If I needed a kidney, would you give me one?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely!’ and she said, ‘Then shut up!”
It's been ten years since Jenny gave Mona Lisa the gift of life and in honor if the gift she was given - Mona Lisa has been living life to the fullest.
“The transplant was successful. Because of the medications I’m on to keep the kidney in the body, it’s kept lupus in remission,” Mona Liza said. “I’ve used the last ten to live life to the fullest.”
Not only did Mona Liza’s life change, her perspective did too.
“There are miracles and I feel extremely blessed. If I’m not on fire or dead, I’m getting on with life. I’m literally living like there is no tomorrow. Life has never been sweeter,” Mona Liza said.
They are celebrating the ten year anniversary of the transplant this week.
We're proud to call Jenny Ross and Mona LIsa Morris this week's KRLD Difference Maker.
If you know someone making a difference in the community, send us an email at differencemaker@krld.com.
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