ORLANDO, Florida — An accidental text about dialysis reached the wrong police officer. Her answer ultimately gave a fellow officer’s father a functioning kidney and a life without daily dialysis, according to a new local report.
Orlando Police Officer Dani Torres donated a kidney to Jovica Sladic, the father of fellow Officer Marija Sladic, after the two squadmates discovered that Torres was a compatible donor, FOX 35 Orlando reporter Amanda McKenzie reported Thursday.
A text sent to the wrong squadmate opened the door
Torres and Marija Sladic had each served with the Orlando Police Department for more than nine years but barely knew one another before being assigned to the same patrol squad, the report says.
In July 2025, Sladic accidentally sent Torres a message about rescheduling an appointment so she could attend dialysis training with her father. Torres recognized that the message was not intended for her, but she also told Sladic that she was available if the family needed help.
The conversation continued. Sladic explained that her 72-year-old father had end-stage kidney disease, required daily dialysis and was waiting for a transplant. Torres responded with a direct offer: “I have two kidneys, do you want one?”
Testing found a match
Medical testing determined that Torres and Sladic’s father were compatible. FOX 35 reports that the transplant surgery took place May 20, 2026. Torres waited until after the operation to meet Jovica Sladic in person.
According to the family’s account in the local report, the donated kidney began working immediately and Jovica Sladic no longer needed dialysis. Torres said both she and her remaining kidney were doing well. The station reported that she returned to police work Aug. 5.
FOX 35 presented Torres with its Care Force Award as the story became public. Marija Sladic said Torres is now part of the family.
Service beyond the uniform
This was not an on-duty rescue or an Orlando Police Department operation. It was a personal medical decision by a civilian law-enforcement officer who learned about a squadmate’s family crisis and chose to act.
Torres summed up the lesson in the local interview: “Any ounce of kindness” can make a difference. Her gift turned an accidental text into a permanent bond between two police families.
Readers can find more verified acts of service in ThinBlueNews’ police hero stories, police community support and positive police news sections.
Source and visual attribution
- FOX 35 Orlando — “Wrong number, right match: Orlando cop donates kidney to fellow officer’s dad,” by Amanda McKenzie, published Aug. 6, 2026. The report supplies the officers’ interviews, the accidental-text timeline, donor-match and surgery details, publicly shared medical outcome and Care Force Award context.
- FOX 35 Care Force video — Officer Dani Torres honored after donating a kidney. ThinBlueNews links to the publisher-hosted video and did not copy it into this site.
Visual note: The featured image is original ThinBlueNews typography and abstract message/connection illustration. It does not reproduce FOX imagery, private texts, a hospital scene, the transplant procedure or any person’s likeness, and it does not imply an on-duty incident.
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