(WRAL) — Father and daughter Larry Koch and Lauren Herlihy have always had a tight relationship.
"He's been a great dad," said Lauren.
When his kidney disease progressed to stage 4 last summer, the then 77-year-old was told dialysis might be the next step, if he didn’t get a donor quickly.
"This really was probably a narrow window for him and realistically speaking, living donation was really his only option," said Dr. Alex Toledo with UNC Health.
Lauren said knew that she could offer the quickest solution.
"It wasn't a choice for me, really. I didn't want to see him go through his final decade in life on dialysis," said Lauren.
The decision was emotional for both of them.
"I was always a little concerned about what the impact on her would be. I didn't want any risk," said Larry.
But it was a choice that Lauren says was obvious, due in part to her expertise in the medical field at UNC Health
"I really just believed so strongly in science and modern medicine and all the ways this process has been perfected over the years," said Lauren.
"They both did really well, they both bounced by quickly," said Dr. Toledo.
Lauren and Larry left with peace of mind, and another memory together each year when Koch’s birthday rolls around.
"I'll always remember March 21, just before my 78th birthday," said Larry.
Both Lauren and Larry are recovering well.
