Grateful Foster Child Gives the Gift of Life
An ailing Rahway woman who has sheltered dozens of foster children over the years received a Christmas gift from one of them: a donated kidney.
“I’m forever indebted to this young man for this gift,” said Phyllis Klingebiel, 68, of the foster son who lived with her and her husband for 11 years. “He’s a walking angel on this Earth.”
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Greshan, 23, said the donation was a natural choice for a woman who cared for him from the time he showed up at her house as a 7-year-old. Klingebiel needed a transplant after a genetic kidney condition worsened in the last year.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
