CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The city of Cape Coral rolled out a new ordinance in May after a unanimous vote from the council. It's already changing lives for the better.
City employees who donate or receive bone marrow or organ transplants are now able to do so with built-in paid recovery time.
"The ordinance says, you may have 160 hours which is 4 weeks of paid leave if you are a recipient and or a donor," Kenny said.
Carol Kenny who works for the city is already utilizing the policy. She received a kidney transplant 30 years ago from her mother. That transplant was successful but the kidney recently failed.
After about a year of searching for a donor, receiving dialysis treatments, and working full-time through this struggle, she finally found a match. Carol's sister Janet, flew from California to donate the kidney.
Janet says the procedure and process brought her and Carol even closer.
Carol's daughter Rachel Jackson says if the family's story encourages anyone to be a living donor, sharing it will feel worth it to them.
