A 19-Year-Old Madison Ricci Meets A 22-Year-Old Stranger Who Saved Her Life

Madison Ricci, 19, and Jaelin Highsmith, 22, meet for the first time

Liver donor Jaelin Highsmith heard about Madison Ricci case on Facebook and stepped in to save her from life-threatening lupus

Madison Ricci from Hamden, Connecticut, was diagnosed with lupus at age 12
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs
Ricci’s liver began scarring and doctors told her that her best chance of survival was to find a living donor
Jaelin was found to be a match and, in December 2018, the two underwent a 22.5-hour surgery at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital

Liver recipient meets her donor for the 1st time live on ‘GMA’

Highsmith volunteered to be Ricci’s donor after one of his best friends – a family friend of Ricci’s – sent out a text asking for help in finding her a donor.

He had only a five to 10% chance of being a match for Ricci, according to her family. Yet after over four months of testing, Highsmith was determined by doctors at Yale-New Haven Hospital to be a match.

“The bottom line was the opportunity as there and there’s no way I could pass it up,” he said. “I knew from day one if I was able to do this, I would do it.”

Highsmith and Ricci began to communicate by text message after the surgery and have stayed in touch via texts and social media before they were able to meet in person.

“Maddie and Jae have so many similarities, it’s just amazing to us,” said Ricci’s mom, Kristine Ricci. “We are forever grateful for Jaelin and his entire family as they are all now part of ours.”