OU Student Finds Kidney Donor Through TikTok

An OU student from Tahlequah is recovering from a kidney transplant, and she found the perfect donor match in an unlikely way.

Many would argue that the lack of connection between people starts on TikTok, with the seemingly endless number of videos right at your fingertips, holding your attention.

"It just popped up on my For You page," Savannah Stallbaumer said.

One video that grabbed her attention was a TikTok made by Katie Hallum.

"It says, POV I overhear you have healthy kidneys and an O blood type, and it says, 'you have something I want,'" Katie said.

Katie has a rare kidney disease. She turned to TikTok for some comedic relief about her incurable disorder.

"I never asked for a kidney, but people started offering their kidneys to me on TikTok," she said.

It went viral.

"I noticed Savannah commented, and she had asked how to sign up to be a donor," said Katie.

Katie made another video for Savannah and the 30,000 others who liked the original post explaining the process.

Savannah, a complete stranger to Katie, saw it and was determined to help.

"I felt like I had to get tested,” said Savannah. “Like, what if I am a match and I did nothing?"

After months of testing, Savannah was a match.

"It's a one in 20,000 chance. It’s an incredible small chance that she would match with me," Katie said.

The transplant successfully took place on August 17th.

"I am like five percent Savannah now," said Katie.

While Savannah lost a kidney, she gained a friend.

"I think we would be inseparable if we didn't live 4 hours apart," she said.

All of that scrolling was worth it for this true connection.

"I don't think there will ever be words strong enough to express my gratitude," Katie said.

Savannah plans on spending a couple of days with Katie's family for Christmas.