PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Hayley Ostrofsky's workday at West Boca Medical Center was full of surprises Wednesday.
She's the clinical supervisor for the diagnostic imaging center at the hospital.
Ostrofsky was honored as a Tenet Hero, an award given to recognize employees who go above and beyond, demonstrating a commitment to quality of care and caring.
However, she had no idea why she was being recognized.
Her colleagues spoke about how she doesn't have a bad bone in her body.
But an added surprise to her day was meeting Jack Levine, who flew to South Florida from New York.
Levine was there to meet Ostrofsky for the first time after she donated a kidney to him in April of last year.
He needed the kidney after he went into renal failure following knee surgery.
"They say God gave us two kidneys — one to keep and one to donate to someone in need," Levine said. "There are 100,000 people in this country in need of a kidney."
Ostrofsky made the choice to become an altruistic living donor matching with Levine, giving part of herself to a stranger.
WPTV asked her why she performed such a selfless act.
"Because if you can help somebody out, and you have the opportunity, and I had the privilege and the honor of being in wonderful health, why not?" Ostrofsky said. "Who else is going to help somebody if you don't step up when you have an opportunity to do something good?"
Levine has nothing but overwhelming gratitude for Ostrofsky.
"It takes a very special person to make the decision to donate a healthy organ to someone who is a complete stranger. Hayley did this. You are my hero," Levine said. "You're the ultimate mensch. You gave me my life back. You saved my family. We are family now. God bless you."
Kindness and caring — just a few of the ways two strangers can form a lifelong bond.
