Patrick Dove

Susan Cantu was born a fighter. Plagued with life-threatening ailments and failing kidneys at birth, Susan's father, Ernie, donated one of his kidneys so that she could live. The kidney lasted for about 10 years until it was time to find another donor. Miraculously, a donor was found through their church, Paul Ann Baptist in San Angelo. Her second kidney lasted another 10 years until a glitch in the MediCare system prevented Susan from getting the necessary anti-rejection drugs to keep the kidney functioning. Susan lost her second kidney and would have to undergo dialysis treatments for a year before another church member, Courtney Beach, was tested as a match and decided to donate a kidney. Susan's life can be seen as a rehearsal on a movie set. With the donation of a third kidney, this is Susan Cantu's life.. take three.

Caption: Susan Cantu, 20, looks out over a koi pond at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. Cantu is in San Antonio to undergo her third kidney transplant since birth. Cantu has been going to dialysis treatments three time a week since losing her second transplanted kidney a year ago.

In an effort to squeeze in some last minute father-daughter time, Ernie Cantu and his daughter Susan, 20, have lunch during an outing at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. The family is in San Antonio because Susan will be receiving her third kidney transplant. The new kidney is being donated by Courtney Beach, 26, of San Angelo, who felt that it was his Christian obligation to help the family. Beach is a member of Paul Ann Baptist Church.

Susan Cantu (center) wanders the grounds of Six Flags Fiesta Texas during a family outing in San Antonio. Just two days later, Cantu would be receiving her third kidney transplant at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital.

Courtney Beach, 26, gets a quick tour of the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio after going through routine medical tests. Beach, a member of Paul Ann Baptist Church in San Angelo, has decided to come to the aid of fellow church member Susan Cantu, and donate a kidney.

Courtney Beach, 26, (center) walks hand-in-hand with his girlfriend Julianne Johnson as they get a quick tour of Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach, a member of Paul Ann Baptist Church in San Angelo, decided to come to the aid of fellow church member Susan Cantu and donate a kidney. Cantu, who will undergo her third kidney transplant, has been on dialysis for over a year since losing her last kidney.

Susan Cantu prepares for what she hopes is her last dialysis session the day before she is to receive a new kidney at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. This will be Cantu's third transplant operation since birth.

Susan Cantu, 20, speaks with Dr. Steven Rosenblatt, a nephrologist with the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio, during a preliminary checkup before being admitted to the hospital. Cantu was in the hospital to undergo her third kidney transplant. The kidney was being donated by Courtney Beach, 26, of San Angelo.

Susan Cantu, 20, goes through a preliminary checkup with Dr. Steven Rosenblatt, a nephrologist with Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio, to prepare for a kidney transplant the following day. This will be Cantu's third kidney transplant since birth.

Susan Cantu, 20, shows off her new t-shirt with a smiling cartoon kidney on it to staff members at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Cantu will be receiving a new kidney, her third such operation, since losing her last kidney over a year ago.

Susan Cantu, 20, prepares for what she hopes is her last dialysis treatment before undergoing a kidney transplant the following day at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Cantu has undergone dialysis treatments for over a year since losing her last kidney.

Susan Cantu's blood flows from her arm and through a dialysis machine the day before she is to undergo a kidney transplant at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. This will be the third transplant for Cantu who lost her second kidney over a year ago.

Ernie and Margarita Cantu sit at the bedside of their daughter Susan on the morning she is to undergo her third kidney transplant at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Cantu, 20, lost her second kidney over a year ago due to a glitch in the MediCare system and was unable to get the medication to keep her kidney healthy.

Susan Cantu gets a hug from Dora Beach as she prepares to undergo a third kidney transplant at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach's son, Courtney, 26, is donating one of his kidneys to Cantu.

Courtney Beach, 26, lays in the bed next to Susan Cantu in the pre-operation area of Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach is donating a kidney to Cantu, who will be undergoing her third such operation.

Surrounded by his parents, girlfriend and pastors from Paul Ann Baptist Church, Courtney Beach, 26, prepares to be wheeled into surgery at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach is donating one of his kidneys to Susan Cantu, a local woman who has been on dialysis for over a year. This will be Cantu's third kidney transplant surgery.

Courtney Beach holds hand with his mother Dora Beach (left) and girlfriend Julianne Johnson as a pastor from Paul Ann Baptist Church prays over him as he prepares to be wheeled into surgery at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach is donating a kidney to Susan Cantu of San Angelo who will be going through her third kidney transplant.

Susan Cantu, 20, is wheeled to the operating room to go through her third kidney transplant since birth. Cantu lost her last kidney over a year ago due to a glitch in the MediCare system. Cantu was unable to get the medication necessary to keep the kidney functioning.

Dr. Luke Shen begins the delicate process of removing a kidney from the abdomen of Courtney Beach, 26, of San Angelo. Beach is donating the kidney to Susan Cantu, also of San Angelo, who has been plagued with kidney problems since birth.

Organ procurement specialist Kelly Rains (left) and transplant surgeon Dr. Francis Wright clean and trim any extra fatty tissue from the kidney donated by Courtney Beach, 26, of San Angelo. Once cleaned, Dr. Wright will put the kidney into Susan Cantu, 20, who is going through her third transplant surgery.

After the kidney is cleaned and trimmed of any excess tissue, it is ready to be placed into Susan Cantu. "It almost looks like a raw chicken breast," said Dr. Francis Wright, director of the abdominal organ transplant program at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio.

Dr. Francis Wright, director of the abdominal organ transplant program at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio, begins to connect the kidney to an artery that will allow Susan Cantu to end her dialysis treatments. Cantu lost her second transplanted kidney over a year ago and has been required to undergo dialysis sessions three times a week since.

As the clamp is removed from the artery to allow bloodflow, Susan Cantu's new kidney turns a bright pink as it begins to function on its own. Cantu received the kidney from a church member, Courtney Beach, 26, who felt that it was his Christian duty to help.

Ernie Cantu shakes the hand of Francis Wright, director of the abdominal organ transplant program at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Wright had just finished transplanting a kidney into Cantu's daughter, Susan, and came to give him the news that everything went well. This is the third kidney transplant operation for Susan Cantu, 20.

Family members and friends of Courtney Beach relax and share a laugh in the waiting room at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Beach decided to donate a kidney to a fellow church member, Susan Cantu.

Susan Cantu, 20, rests in her hospital room with her parents Ernie and Margarita the day after going through her third kidney transplant operation at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Cantu received a kidney from a fellow Paul Ann Baptist Church member, Courtney Beach.

Susan Cantu, 20, gets a visit from Julianne Johnson in her hospital room at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio the day after undergoing a kidney transplant. Johnson's boyfriend, Courtney Beach, 26, is a fellow church member with Cantu and donated a kidney to give Cantu a new lease on life.

Susan Cantu, 20, rests in her hospital bed at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio the day after undergoing a kidney transplant. This was the third kidney transplant operation Cantu has gone through and one of more than 20 surgeries she's had since birth.

Susan Cantu, 20, eats her first meal the day after having a kidney transplant at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio.

Susan Cantu takes a walk around the nurses station the day after having a kidney transplant at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio.

Ernie Cantu sits beside his daughter, Susan, while she rests in her bed the day after having a kidney transplant operation at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital in San Antonio. Susan lost her previous kidney over a year ago and needed dialysis treatments three time a week. "Susan's treatments have really taken a toll on the family," Cantu said, "but you do what ever you can for your kids."