Christopher Dempsey knew that it would be a life-changing moment when he decided to donate half of his liver to a complete stranger, but he never thought this stranger would become the love of his life.
Less than 2 years after he revealed to Heather Krueger that he was a match, the two were married.
Their unique love story started when a conversation was overheard during a break at work in Frankfort, a village that’s on the south of Chicago, Illinois.
Ms Krueger Had Stage 4 Liver Illness & Needed a Transplant
Ms Krueger was diagnosed with stage four liver disease and has been sick for around two years already when the doctors informed her she has only has 50 percent chance of surviving two more months without a transplant.
Her family was in a race to find a donor-a hard task considering there are more than 119,000 individuals on the transplant waiting lists in the country.
This is when code enforcement officer Mr Dempsey stepped in. He overheard his co-workers discussing about a cousin who was in desperate need of a transplant.
This is when he thought to himself that it would be amazing if someone could help him or his family if he were in a similar situation.
So, the 38-year-old decided to get tested and he was actually perfect match for the then Ms Krueger who’s now 27-years-old.
The first time they spoke was when he gave her a call and informed her that he will be her donor. This happened in February 2015. Later, she told him how she and her mother were crying from joy after he called them.
One week later, he went for a lunch with the woman and he says he was blown away when he saw her walk in. He thought that she’s very pretty. And, for a person in that situation, she didn’t look ill, but rather wore a smile on her face.
After this meeting, there was no going back. They only spent more and more time together. Dempsey’s motorcycle club organized a benefit to collect money that helped pay for the hospital bills.
They hang out, got donations, and he thought he would like to know her better.
The Transplant Is Successful, Dempsey & Krueger Grow even Closer
The surgery happened on March 16th in 2015. Both recovered only a couple of rooms from each other.
Dempsey was unable to work for 2 months and got back to normal 8 months after the procedure. He remembers taking walks together in the hospital and seeing each other in their worst.
This is what made them even closer to each other. They started dating in July the same year and then, at a barbecue with her family, Dempsey asked her father for permission to marry her.
He proposed to her after a Christmas shopping in Chicago and romantic horse and carriage ride. They got married in October and had more than 300 of their closest friends and relatives attending.
Dempsey said this was an incredible day. Today, looking at his healthy wife, he thinks back to the moment he decided to get tested and says it was the best decision ever.
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