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STORY: It was a mad dash to the hospital for this Brazilian tour guide

after he found out a long-awaited kidney transplant was available

[Ricardo Medeiros de Oliveira, Tour guide]

"It was a mix of emotions, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, whether to believe, whether to be skeptical about whether it was really going to happen because I was there and there were reports from people who said that it had never happened that someone had to be rescued by helicopter for a transplant."

Oliveira had been hiking in a remote mountain area when he received the news

The 47-year-old had been waiting nine years for the transplant

The surgery was successful

[Major Fabio Contreiras, Fire department spokesperson]

"Our mission is already to save lives, we do it every day, but when we came across this case where we (firefighters) have managed to make a difference. Because he wouldn't have been able to get there in time if he'd been on foot, he'd probably have missed that opportunity and we feel great happiness."