Daughter donates kidney to father, ultimate father’s day gift

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Jasmine Singletary
Published: Updated:
father and daughter kidney
Daughter donates her kidney to her father (CREDIT: WINK News)

A daughter gives her father the ultimate gift, she saves his life by donating one of her kidneys to him.

This duo shows us the love between a father and daughter just in time for father’s day.

Dana Farengo-Clark says she’s always been close to her dad.

“Everybody has said from when I was little oh, you look just like your dad. You know, you’re a little Vin,” Farengo-Clark said.

When Vincent’s kidney disease worsened a few years ago that bond and his life was threatened.

“They told me, then, because of my age, that I wouldn’t be able to get on the transplant list,” Vincent said.

Once an avid tennis player his only options were dialysis and the sedentary life that entailed or find a donor on his own.

His wife and other daughters weren’t a match but dana was. But for months Vincent refused to do the surgery.

“He just kept saying no. And that was actually making me really angry,” Farengo-Clark said.

Vincent said all he could think of was, god forbid something happened to his daughter.

But Dana refused to take no for an answer.

“And then one day, we were talking … And she said dad, I just want to tell you one thing. 40 some odd years ago, you gave me life. And now it’s my turn to give it back to you. And you have to do this. Because if you don’t, I wouldn’t forgive you,” Vincent said.

10 hours of surgery and a lot of hugs and tears later Vincent got his kidney.

And his life back.

Vincent said he calls his daughter his guardian angel. She is because she saved my life.

“I think being able to do this, not only was it saving his life for him, and giving him his life back, but we would really miss him if he was gone… And now like that he walks around with a little piece of my kind of makes me smile,” Faregno-Clark said.

This father and daughter are bonded for life by the gift of life.

Since getting his kidney, Vincent’s health has allowed him to continue traveling. And he’s working out so he can play tennis again.

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