‘Hope is what got us here’: Organ recipient meets donor family

HARLEM, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A life-changing transplant has united two strangers who live thousands of miles apart.

Lily Lube needed a complete knee transplant because of some medical issues. It seemed like hope was lost until a donor was found.

Lube received her knee from Janelle Carrier’s late husband, Mike.

Now, Carrier and Lube, once one-time strangers, are closer than ever. The two have an unbreakable bond.

“I’m her adopted mom. I guess she’s my adopted kid, BFF, something,” said Carrier.

Family is the best way to describe these two.

“It was all about something so awful turning into this beautiful friendship that we have now and all because of some form of hope along the way,” said Carrier. “Hope is kind of what got us here in the first place.”

It’s all thanks to one person.

“Mike’s always going to be a part of us. And really, if it weren’t for him, none of us would be here where we are today. She was able to balance all of his grandbabies on Paw Paw’s knee one last time, which was huge. Through him, we now have each other,” said Carrier.

Lube said: “It’s almost as if you have to take the questioning out of everything and know that everything happened the way it did on purpose.”

Forever and always, these two have each other.

“When we sit on this side of tragedy, and you look back, you can see that this was all just beautifully planned, and always meant to be,” said Carrier.

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