Vancleave woman’s kidney donation a success

OKLAHOMA CITY (WLOX) - We have some good news to update you on about a Vancleave woman who decided to donate a kidney to a man she’s only met once. The surgery was successful, and both Anna Cannington and Dustin Rippetoe are out of the hospital and on the road to recovery.

Just a few weeks ago, we told you about Cannington’s selfless decision to donate her kidney to an Oklahoma man she knew through an online strength training community called StrongFirst. Rippetoe, 43, was diagnosed with Berger’s disease in 2007 and had been actively searching for a donor.

Cannington stepped up to help after being inspired by a similar story on WLOX six months earlier.

Cannington and Rippetoe underwent surgery on Monday, and were discharged Thursday. We’re told everyone is tired, but doing well, and the procedure went just as expected.

The transplant took place at Integris Health in Oklahoma City, which has a Living Donor program, and plenty of experience with these kinds of surgeries. Their surgeons have even performed several of the “domino exchange” kidney transplants where 12 or 16 different people are connected through a chain of matching donors.

Cannington will spend a total of two and a half weeks in Oklahoma City so she can have a follow up visit with doctors before heading back home to Vancleave.