Jennifer Thomas and Rich O’Dea did not even make it to a second date, but what did come out of their unsuccessful Tinder foray has saved a life.

A 35-year-old single mother, Ms Thomas was looking for love when she decided to meet Mr O’Dea for a blind date.

Conversation moved to hobbies, where he revealed he was part of a marathon team that raised money to find a cure for a genetic kidney disease, called polycystic kidney disease, or PKD.

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The team was created by his friend, Scott Bragan, whose wife, Erika, was diagnosed with the disease 14 years earlier.

Ms Bragan faced the prospect of dialysis as she waited on the transplant list for a replacement organ. That was until Ms Thomas entered the picture.

“Why would a perfect stranger who met my good buddy on a blind date, why would she even want to help?” Mr Bragan told The Washington Post, of the initial conversation he had with the 35-year-old.

“She was so authentic, she goes: ‘I know that everyone is given two kidneys and I know I only need one to have a perfect quality of life’.

“She was so selfless in her response. Who is this person? She’s an angel on the other line.”

Medically, the pair proved to be compatible, and, after a series of intensive tests, the surgery went ahead.

It was two years since Ms Bragan had made it onto the transplant list, but, just several months after that blind date, both women were recuperating in hospital last week.

“We are overwhelmed with her selflessness,” Mr Bragan said.

“She has reaffirmed the belief that there are good people in the world. With all the bad things happening, this is such an example of the human spirit.”