natalie zea of our miami affiliate wfor reports. >> reporter: these strangers met for the first time,bond between them. >> i thank him again for donating to my father because now he has a longer life. >> reporter: all six of these men and women took part in a kidney exchange at the same time. six operating rooms, six surgeries, and now six new chances at life with their loved ones. here's how the three-way kidney exchange works. donor a would like to give to recipient a but isn't a match so instead donor a gives to recipient b. recipient b's donor, gives his to donor c. donor c pays back the fash and gives it to recipient a. in the end, everybody who needs it gets a matching kidney. alana gonzalez was disappointed when she learned her husband was never a match. she never knew a 22-year-old would be her saving grace, giving her one of his kidneys. jonathon had originally hoped to give his kidney to his father dale. doctors told dale his high blood pressure and diabetes were so vonsed, he may only have ten years left. >> i was on permanent dialysis. what that consists of is 9 1/2 hours