Daughter Gives Mom The Gift Of Life For Mother's Day

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A South Florida woman has given her mother an incredible gift just in time for Mother's Day, the gift of life.

Yolanda Mixon, who served in the Army for nearly 19 years, including a stint in the Gulf War, was diagnosed with lupus which eventually led to kidney failure and pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the lung tissue which makes it difficult to breathe.

"I started out having arthritis-like pain in my joints so I went to the clinic and did the blood work and came back with lupus," explained Yolanda.

Doctors told Yolanda, a single mother raising two children; she would eventually need a kidney transplant.

Her daughter, Lekisha Mixon, immediately volunteered to be tested and was the perfect match.

"I feel like my Mom has given me the most wonderful life, said Lekisha, a forensic psychologist who lives in Miami Beach."I've never had to want for anything and this was my way of giving back to her."

The illness forced the military to retire her after more than 18 years of service and soon her body would retire itself if she didn't get a new kidney.

"I told my daughter and she said 'Mom, I'll give you a kidney'," said Yolanda.

Unfortunately, the organ transplant was delayed in 2006 because Yolanda's condition was deteriorating. Doctors had to wait until she was strong enough for the transplant. Doctors placed her on dialysis, a process that filters waste from the blood, three times a week. Over the next few years, Yolanda was in and out of the hospital many times, often critically ill in intensive care.

But Yolanda wasn't going to give up. She drew from her military roots and began to work out and train for it. Six years later, she was ready.

University of Miami /Jackson transplant surgeons, George Burke, M.D., and Junichiro Sageshima, M.D., operated on Yolanda and Lekisha at Jackson Memorial Hospital on May 9th.

"With all the training that she's done, with all the exercise that she's done, rarely do we take the breathing tube out at the end of the surgery which was really surprising in a positive way," said Dr. Burke.

"I was surprised myself when I woke up," said Yolanda.

The surgery was a success and Yolanda now has complete kidney function.

Yolanda, who now works as a civilian IT specialist at the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, said she will never be able to repay her daughter for saving her life.

"My daughter gave me the gift of life and she is in my debt forever," said Yolanda.

"Showing her that I appreciate everything and keeping her around so I can give her grand babies because she keeps bothering me," joked Lekisha.