Tampa woman finds perfect kidney donor through Facebook

TAMPA, Fla. - Hannah Craig feels like she is starting a new life now that she has a new kidney.

Surgeons at Tampa General Hospital successfully completed a kidney transplant last week after Hannah went into renal failure.

She found out she would need a kidney transplant early this year. Doctors said she may be on the waiting list for more than three years because of her rare blood type.

That's when her cousin turned to Facebook to make a heart-felt plea.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to say, oh yeah, sure, let's donate," she said.

It was a long shot, but there was nothing to lose.

About a week after the post, Hannah heard from her Hillary Glanzer, a childhood friend who saw it on Facebook.

She immediately went to get tested to see if she could help.

"After I got tested, they told me not only was I a match, but I was the best match out there," Glanzer said.

That meant she had a chance to save her friend's life -- I thought she couldn't say no to.

Last week the two friends who drifted apart over the years, reconnected in more ways than one.

"I just broke down crying -- a good cry because it was such a relief," Hannah said.

The 21-year-old suffers from Systemic Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that attacks your organs. When Hannah was two years old, both kidneys shutdown and her mother donated her kidney.

"I've had that kidney for 19 years and just this last year it started to fail," she said.

Now she's recovering from her second transplant, while her friend is recovering from being a donor.

Both now feel closer than ever before.

"That makes me feel awesome, and I hope that it inspires other people," Glanzer said.