Three months before our wedding, my husband Richard was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. He was only 34 years old. A young dad, a former college athlete, someone who had always faced lupus and chronic kidney disease with grit and determination. But by 2018, dialysis became his only hope for survival.

For nearly a year and a half, Richard woke before dawn to be in his dialysis chair by 5 a.m. He endured four long hours of treatment, then went straight to work. By the time he got home, he was drained and often asleep by 6 p.m. Dialysis was keeping him alive, but he wasn't really living.

When you see someone you love hurting, all you want to do is help.

I wanted to donate a kidney to Richard, but after testing, we learned I wasn't a match. At the Advent Health Transplant Institute in Orlando, we were told that the wait for a kidney transplant would likely be three to five years, maybe longer. For a young father with so much life, we were determined to find another option.

That's when we learned about living donation and, specifically, paired kidney exchange. If I couldn't donate directly to Richard, I could still give my kidney to someone else in need, and in return, their loved one could donate to Richard.

Suddenly, we had hope.

The process was thorough: bloodwork, scans, and counseling. But what really struck me was the compassion of the transplant team. Richard and I each had our own doctors, nurses, and social workers, ensuring we were supported as individuals every step of the way.

Then came the call that changed everything. We had a match. My kidney would go to a brave four-year-old girl, and her mother would donate to Richard. Two families, once strangers, now forever linked by generosity and hope.

On the day of surgery, I went in first. Richard followed later that day. By evening, we were recovering on opposite ends of the hospital. I remember shuffling down the hall just to sit in his room. We didn't need words. We just looked at each other, smiling, knowing we'd made it through. Knowing we had a future together.

What makes our story even more extraordinary is that we were the first paired kidney exchange link that had all four surgeries done in the same hospital, rather than coordinating surgeries throughout the country.

And our circle was as diverse as it was life-changing: a Black father, a four-year-old child, and two white mothers. It was a complex puzzle made possible by organ donation organizations and the medical teams that carefully analyzed and tested to ensure compliance with strict testing and safety measures.

It's been five years since our surgeries, and I would do it again without hesitation. Donating my kidney was one of the most meaningful decisions of my life, second only to bringing my son into the world. Through the gift of paired donation, we were able to restore Richard's health and give a little girl the chance to grow up and dream.

But our story is bigger than us. More than 5,000 Floridians are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Each of us has the power to save up to eight lives through organ donation, restore sight to two others, and heal as many as 75 through tissue donation. Behind every statistic is a child, a parent, a spouse, praying for a second chance.

Living donation taught me that miracles can be made possible by ordinary people who say "yes." By registering as an organ donor, you aren't just giving the gift of life -- you're restoring futures and healing families.

My hope is that our journey inspires others to consider donation. Visit donatelifeflorida.org to learn more.