
News 13 Orlando
Three days before Valentine's Day, Florida woman Melissa DeGeso-Jones donated a kidney to her husband, James Jones, who was suffering from renal failure.
Three days before Valentine’s Day, a Florida woman gave her husband the most special gift of all – life.
On Monday, Melissa DeGeso-Jones had her kidney transplanted at Florida Hospital in Orlando to her husband, James Jones, who has been suffering from renal failure.
"(I’m) giving as much love as I have," DeGeso-Jones told Orlando’s News 13 before the surgery. "It's completely from my heart. James has said things to me about it being a huge sacrifice, and I said, 'It's not; it's an investment. This is our life. It's not just your life that I'm giving, too. There can't be an ‘us’ without it.' So, that's what it's about."
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The love between the couple from Lake Mary, Fla., who met two years ago on Valentine’s Day, impressed the surgeon who performed the procedure on Monday.
"Melissa is making the rest of us look bad," Dr. Giridhar Vedula told News 13. "Most of us buy an expensive box of candy and call it a day, but this girl is just something phenomenal."

News 13 Orlando
James and Melissa coincidentally met on Valentine's Day two years ago. When he learned he needed a transplant, she immediately went for tests and was found to be a perfect match to be a donor.
When it was determined James needed a kidney transplant, Melissa immediately got her kidneys tested and was revealed to be a match for donation.
"There wasn't any reservation, or never did I ever fathom the idea I wouldn't be," she said. "That's the funny part. I never thought, 'Oh, what if I don't match?' I just assumed I would."
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James also knows that some roses or a nice dinner can’t exactly measure up to the Valentine’s Day gift he has been given by his wife this year.
"It's one of those things where I'll continue to reciprocate this for the rest of my life, because you'll never be able to give her anything that's going to be able to match life,'' James said.
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It IS a wonderful thing this woman did for her hubby and I wish them YEARS of love and joy. As for the ignorant people writing their crazy comments - it's apparent that you have no life. You turn anything and everything into a race issue. Why bother commenting if you have no input. Go back to the slimy pond you crawled out from.
The photo of them kissing on their wedding day just oozes love, not to mention the huge smile on her face in the first photo. What a great love story.
For all of those making racial comments, you have no soul. As a white woman, I am extremely embarassed. What is wrong with diversity? I am married to a Puerto Rican and I have a black aunt and cousin who I love so much. We are never going to be a better world with all this racism. She has done more than all of you racist idiots!Kuddos to her!!! <3 May they live a lfetime of happiness!
May they both have long, loving & prosperous lives together!!
Nice story but not that uncommon. I have a good friend who had kidney problems and needed a new kidney. Guess who was a perfect match? YUP. His wife.
What she said, about it not being about just him but rather about them as a couple together, hit me hard. What a wonderful thing to say. They are truly blessed to have each other and I hope they have many, many years of love ahead of them. They'll go far.
If negroes were'nt beneath white people, why are there still negroe tribes jumping around still, where are the white tribes in the world?
Well, Daves, you can find the white tribes on the street , after dark, in any American city. Not that there aren't plenty of black tribes there, also, but it was about whites you asked.
Unconditional & true love.... I would do the same for my husband if needed. May God Bless them both for the rest of their lives.
You white folks hate to think of women like her getting that big black d**k!!!!! Too funny!
This is true love and He is a very lucky man to have a woman who supports him in this way. This is the ultimate gift of love.
There not white women, they are negroe lovers and are as gross as blacks. They are into animals......... gorilla loving white trash.
@ Daves..you shouldnt be breathing the same air as the rest of us..comparing you to a gorilla, would be insulting the Gorilla.
We have a Black president you stupid redneck, get over yourself or leave!
You have a negroe prez, and a gorilla as a "first lady" HA!
ahhaha it must burn your black, souless , jealous heart, he got elected for a second term hahhahha..Burn ahole..burn...'
Maybe its time you realized God doesn't like people like you and neither do we.
Ariana, ignore this stupid worthless troll (and if not, this ignorant a-hole). Don't bother wasting time on him.
I would hope my wife would give to me if I was in need. I am sure she would as I would for her or my family.
THANK YOU MSN FOR A NICE STORY FOR A CHANGE.
And please STOP with the HATE . . . damn how insecure are you folks.
What an AWESOME story of true love!!! I'd definitely do the same for my husband!!!!
@ Tarzan..you are not very bright are ya? I am going to guess, a 5th grade drop out, redneck, from Hickville? married to your cousin?
If you are doing what you have always done for blacks and hispanics and Asian,nothing..why dont you do us all a favor and shut your worthless trap.
I did not like when she said it`s an investment, how about if the love from his part end and he does not want to be with her in the future. what he will say; Oh , jees I can`t leave her because she donate a kidney to me! I`m an organ donor myself and I will donate to anyone without thinking about any expectations, or that i`m investing to save someone to be at my side. It`s beautiful what she did but the words she used were wrong.
For the racists out there, she does not look that white to me. If you can`t tolerate mixed races then don`t read about them.
I love it! A sweet story about the love a wife has for her husband has brought the ugly out of a lot of people! And while some of them are definitely trolls, most of them probably are not. Make sure you remember this when you get ready to say that there is no racism in this country because the President is black. And kudos to the majority who do not harbor such hatred for someone that they don't know. You give me a bit more faith in the future.
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More in keeping with the spirit of the day if she would have donated her heart.
She has two kidneys - where is the sacrifice there??
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Your name says it all! Nothing new here...just a bad case of verbal diarrhea...
That's the cleanest ear canal I have ever seen. Remarkable!
That's the cleanest ear canal I have ever seen! Remarkable!
It's GREAT to have a story like this hit the news, especially 'cause we're surrounded by crap stories all day, every day.
FABULOUS - CONGRATS to Both! <3
YOU GO GIRL!
We need MORE wives like you, who LOVE their husbands enough to lay their lives on the line. After all, that's what you did! Would YOU MARRY me? NO! Wait! I just remembered...I AM married, and happily, but if I weren't married, and I were about 20 years younger...well..
i'd do the same
This is a great story, but I feel like pretty much anyone would do this for their spouse, I'd hope? I know I would, no question there.
That's true love right there! That gift is better than any sort of material good out there, be it a million dollar ring or car or a box of chocolates; it saved his life and it (along with her love) is truly priceless. I wish both of them well!