CARING NEVER QUITS – WOMAN GIVES EX A KIDNEY!
TWENTY years after they divorced, Mary Ziegler kept her vow to stand by Bill Henrichs “in sickness and in health” — by giving him a kidney!
“It’s kind of an unusual story,” Mary, 62, admitted.
“But for me, it wasn’t even a decision. It was kind of like him calling up and saying, ‘Can you come over and help us rake leaves?’ That’s how I think of it.” The former childhood sweethearts met at 14 and wed at 18. They were married for 21 years and raised two children.
The two, who live in St. Cloud, Minn., remained cordial after their 1995 split. “We kind of made a commitment at the time,” Bill said. “To not do anything poorly to each other and to the kids.” Their bond remained strong even when Bill married his second wife, Linda.
Mary added: “I always say Bill never left our family, but his wife Linda joined it.” Bill had been living with kidney failure, and despite a few friends offering up their own kidneys, they were all found to be either not healthy enough to give up such a vital organ or not a viable match. That’s when Mary volunteered — and doctors found the two were compatible. “The universe was just kind of like, you’re the one!” Mary laughed.
The transplant went without a hitch in October — and Mary said she hopes their story shows how people can fall out of love, but still respect each other.
“If this story changes one person’s actions or attitude towards their ex,” she added, “it’ll be worth it.”