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‘Thank you for saving my life’: San Antonio man reunites with transplant doctor who donated kidney in 2021
Summary by The San Antonio Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Courtney Friedman, Misael Gomez , KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate)
· July 24, 2026
· 3 min read
It was a reunion full of gratitude between a San Antonio transplant doctor and the man she donated a kidney to back in 2021. Joel Gonzalez surprised Dr. Kelley Hitchman on Monday at her lab for what he called their fifth “kidney anniversary.” KSAT has been reporting on the transplant pair for yea...
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The San Antonio Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Courtney Friedman, Misael Gomez, KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 24, 2026 Indexed here Jul 24, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway Kelley Hitchman on Monday at her lab for what he called their fifth “kidney anniversary.
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About this story
Original reporting by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . The San Antonio surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: July 24, 2026 ·
Source: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) ·
Reading time: 3 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? It was a reunion full of gratitude between a San Antonio transplant doctor and the man she donated a kidney to back in 2021. Joel Gonzalez surprised Dr. Kelley Hitchman on Monday at her lab for what he called their fifth “kidney anniversary.” KSAT has been reporting on the transplant pair for yea...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 24, 2026 by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) and curated for The San Antonio readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Courtney Friedman, Misael Gomez at KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate). To learn more about how The San Antonio selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The San Antonio, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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