This husband is going to have a hard time topping this year's anniversary present to his wife. In celebration of their 20th wedding anniversary, Virginia husband Scott Chafian is giving his wife something you can't just pick up at Bloomingdale's. His one-of-a-kind gift? His kidney.
WKTR reports that Cindy, Chafian's wife, has been battling polycystic kidney disease for years, having gone through several surgeries as well as enduring two years of dialysis.
"It is very difficult. When I started out I wanted to do home dialysis. Peritoneal, where I had a little bit more control. I've been through two years of one surgery after another," Cindy said. As his wife grew frailer, Scott couldn't bear to see his wife go through the treatments and decided to offer up his own kidney to help her. Call it fate, because Scott's kidney is a perfect match.
"It's devastating because, of course, you always see your spouse before you and to not have anything, it was just a feeling of helplessness," Scott explained. For six years, he insisted that Cindy reconsider his offer, but she refused. Now, she's taking him up on the offer.
"I hit kind of rock bottom and I looked at him and I said, 'Okay, I'm ready,'" Cindy said.
The operation is scheduled for January 24, which is one day before the couple's 20th wedding anniversary. Because they will not be able to work after the operation, the Chafians set up a GoFundMe page, where they've already raised over $2,000 to cover aftercare and more. Many of the donation have come from other individuals who have had organ donations and the Chafians hope that their own story will bring more attention to living donors.