In October 2011, Christi’s friend Matt’s life was turned upside down when he found out that he was in kidney failure and needed to start dialysis immediately. She had a one-year-old daughter and was pregnant with her son when Matt received his diagnosis.

Over the next year and half, Matt slowly got sicker. He was exhausted from dialysis, frustrated by not finding a kidney donor, and generally becoming less and less like himself. 

When Christi’s son was born, she and her husband decided that if Matt didn’t have a donor by the time their son was one, Christi would get tested. As their son’s first birthday got closer, Christi started the rigorous testing process to determine if she was a match. She did it quietly, concerned that others would think she was crazy. Why would a young mom voluntarily sign up for a surgery that has no obvious benefit to her own health?

But Christi and her husband strongly believed this was the right thing to do. So, in April 2013, she was able to change Matt’s life. Dialysis was keeping him alive, but a new kidney gave him a chance to really experience life again.

Now, four years after the surgery, Christi and Matt are both doing really well. In fact, Christi had another child since the surgery, and is completely healthy. She has never for a moment regretted donating her kidney to Matt.