The coach of a Vancouver peewee hockey team says his search for a life-saving organ donor has been successful.

Stephen Gillis has posted a video on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, showing the moment a friend confirms he is a perfect match and will donate a kidney to the longtime minor hockey coach.

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Gillis says he wanted to make the announcement on Green Shirt Day, an event created by the parents of the late Humboldt Broncos player Logan Boulet, whose donated organs saved six other lives.

In the post, Gillis tearfully embraces Michael Teigen, who learned of Gillissa国际传媒� plight and took the steps to determine his kidney would be a match.

Gillissa国际传媒� peewee team launched a video search for a living kidney donor after being told their coachsa国际传媒檚 battle with Crohnsa国际传媒檚 disease had caused his kidneys to shut down.

The video by the 11- and 12-year-old players racked up thousands of views and gained national attention.

Gillis says he is sa国际传媒渟till trying to process (Teigensa国际传媒檚) selflessness and generosity.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 am hoping now we can use this story to sign up people to become organ (donors) and save the lives of others,sa国际传媒� he says in an email.

He has suffered from Crohnsa国际传媒檚 disease since the age of 25 but led a very active lifestyle until last summer when he said he started sa国际传媒渇eeling a bit weird,sa国际传媒� and doctors gave him a troubling diagnosis.

sa国际传媒淭hey let me know that my blood was basically vinegar and that it wasnsa国际传媒檛 being cleaned for a while,sa国际传媒� he said in an interview in January.

Since then, Gillis has required dialysis to clean his blood and also underwent major surgery to have his diseased colon removed.

It was during his recovery from that surgery that he received the visit from Teigen and learned of the upcoming donation.

The Canadian Press

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