NJ woman recovering after kidney transplant during papal visit
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 62-year-old Catholic woman is resting well Sunday after what she's calling divine intervention.
It just so happens the day Pope Francis arrived in the city, Deborah Husmann of Berlin, N.J., got the call she's been waiting for four years - a kidney became available at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Due to tightened security, Husmann and her husband, Chuck, knew getting to the hospital Saturday, from their home in South Jersey, would also take a miracle.
Fortunately, for them, Guy Barber of JeffSTAT said it's a scenario they anticipated.
"We had a number of contingency plans that we worked out prior to this weekend, and fortunately we were able to kick in one of those plans," said Barber.
New Jersey State Police met the Husmann's - along with an ambulance - and they were given an escort over the closed Ben Franklin Bridge.
"One half of the bridge was a lot people walking, the other was deserted - except for us," said Chuck Husmann. "Everybody just took care of us. It was like everybody was fighting for us."
Whether the papal visit made this gift of life possible she'll never know, but the couple is grateful for everyone who helped.
"My wife and I both want to thank the family of the donor, and send our prayers to that family, also, for their loss," said Chuck Husmann.
New Jersey State Police posted the story on their Facebook page.
