LEWISTON, N.Y. — As Melissa LoStracco, her fiancée Jason, and Tracie Herman can attest, the bond between kidney donors and their recipients can lead to a lifelong vow.
It's an incredible act to give something so important to someone else and in many cases like Herman's, she didn't know the recipient.
But on Sept. 30, 2020, LoStracco and Herman were bonded forever.
Fast forward three years to Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, LoStracco hurried to meet Herman at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport for another special reason.
"She's coming into town to officiate my wedding," LoStracco said.
LoStracco and her fiancée had picked Sept. 30 for their wedding day knowing it was already important. It was her transplant day and, believe it or not, Jason's birthday, who also happens to be her other donor.
"So he actually three years ago gave his kidney on his birthday to a woman in Arizona," said LoStracco, walking with a bouquet of flowers in hand.
Jason wasn't a match for his fiancée, but through the Paired Kidney Exchange Program, he was able to help in a different way.
The program allows a spouse or loved one to put up one of their kidneys for donation with the hope of improving their loved one's chances. And for LoStracco, it worked.
"She's a part of my life forever, of course," LoStracco said.
The trio have since become friends and have seen or visited each other several times, but when they asked Tracie about officiating their wedding?
"At first she was like, 'What are you talking about? That's really not my style,' " LoStracco said.
About a day later, Herman thankfully agreed, and about a year later, the two were hugging at the Buffalo airport, ready for the wedding weekend.
"To be able to donate a kidney and to know that it's doing so well, it's weird. We do have this incredible bond, Melissa and I, because now our kidneys are back together, but it's hard to describe," Herman told 2 On Your Side.
She added, "You know, you go into organ donation and not sure even if you're even going to meet somebody, how they're going to do, and to meet somebody as great as Melissa and her family, and to be any chance to get time together is great."
Melissa said the wedding by all accounts went great, even with Tracie's early nerves.
In lieu of gifts, they asked for donations to the National Kidney Foundation and the trio added even more meaning to their day, September 30.
"I feel like I've gained so much through this myself just to be able to do something and change someone's life for the better and that's an honor and a privilege," Herman said.
So how is that for in sickness and in health?