Crysti Shirley, a Virginia woman, was scrolling through her Facebook feed one day when a post caught her eye. It was written by a former coworker of hers about a family member, named Jim, desperately needing a kidney.
Jim had been on the transplant list for two years and had been receiving dialysis multiple times a week while he waited. His family had been against his cousin posting his story on social media, looking for a kidney, but it’s a good thing their wishes were ignored.
It was months later, after originally posted, when Crysti saw the post and felt it was a Call to Action sign from God. Crysti knew Jim’s cousin from working together in the past, but she and Jim were complete strangers.
About the experience of seeing the post that caught her eye, Crysti states, “When I say caught my eye, I mean gave me goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. It was the story of someone’s loved one who needed an O (blood type) kidney.” Crysti continues, “I knew in my heart that I was meant to give him my kidney. I can’t explain it.”
After a few months of blood work, evaluations and extensive testing, Crysti got the news that she was a PERFECT match for Jim.
Jim and his family see Crysti’s actions a blessing, hailing her a guardian angel, but Crysti disagrees, saying, “I am the one who received the blessing. My hope is that [Jim] can go out and live a full, beautiful life. God called me to do this; there is no thanks that’s needed.”
