2 women celebrate gift of life after Facebook post for donor

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A woman in South Jersey says she can't explain it, but she felt compelled to help a woman she's never met before after seeing her story on Facebook.

Erin Francis of the Somerton section of Philadelphia and Breanna Sipple of Pine Hill, New Jersey are still recovering, but they're celebrating successful surgeries and the gift of life.

Due to a childhood illness, Erin learned at 24-years-old her kidneys were failing. She went on dialysis and needed a transplant.

No one in her family was a match.

"You just try to be positive, but it's hard to be positive sometimes because you feel like your life is slipping through your hands," Erin said.

Newly married, her husband Rich shared her story on Facebook to keep family in the loop and for another reason.

"Hopefully, it could bring in a donor," Rich said.

That's when Breanna, then 23, came into the picture.

"Sometimes you read a story and feel you can't do anything about it, but for some reason this story, I felt so connected, and I felt like I was supposed to do something," Breanna said.

She had never met Erin and didn't tell her, but she started getting tested to see if she could donate her kidney.

Along the way, she started a video log.

At first, after six months, she was rejected.

"I still know, no matter what, for some reason I was supposed to try," Breanna said.

Months later, she met Erin at the Gift of Life Walk and told her she had tried to donate.

Then they got a second chance when another transplant center approved Breanna.

They had surgery September 12th and reunited in the hospital a day later.

"Just to see the big smile on her face was so special, especially after this bond we created," Breanna said.

"She's my hero, my best friend, my organ donor, she's the most selfless person I've ever met," Erin said.

The two even got matching tattoos that say "Be More" across their arms.

Breanna encourages others to become organ donors.

If you can't do that, at least try to do something to help someone in need.

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