One day, I was scrolling on Facebook when I came across a post from a mutual friend saying that Charley was looking for another kidney. A couple weeks later, there was another post, and this time, I learned that Charley and I were the same blood type. 

For whatever reason, I could not let this go. I thought about it all the time. I decided there must be a reason that I can’t read about this and forget it. There was a combination of my faith, and that it kept popping up in my head and my heart. 

Before the surgery, I spent a week quarantining with Charley and her grandmother, and during that time, I really got to know them. And it was funny because the more time I spent with Charley, the more I realized how similar we are personality-wise. It was like she was a mini-me. It was so bizarre that our kidneys matched because so much of us matched. 

I didn’t bring the magic of the holiday season to Charley – I shared it with her. And now, we have this unbreakable bond.