The Unbelievable Story of a Woman Who Donated Her Kidney to a Stranger She Met on a Hike
December 10, 2024
Be prepared to be blown away by this amazing story of a lifesaving coincidence.
Jennifer Hudson welcomed Shiller Joseph and Krissy Miller, both from Provo, Utah, to “The Jennifer Hudson Show” to share their incredible story.
Shiller was living in Miami, Florida, when he was faced with going on dialysis after living with lupus for 20 years. While awaiting a kidney transplant, the paramedic moved to Utah with his wife, Rhona, and three children, thinking he’d get a kidney faster there than in Florida. It ended up being the best decision of his life!
Shiller and his wife were on a hike one day when they ran into another hiker, Krissy Miller, a social worker and mother of four. After a brief conversation, Shiller shared that he was on a donor list waiting for a new kidney. Little did he know, Krissy was interested in donating a kidney to someone in need!
This Amazing Love Story Shows the Impact of Being an Organ Donor
View StoryKrissy felt compelled to sign up for organ donation after seeing a social media post about a man who urgently needed a kidney. She wanted to volunteer to donate hers, but she wasn’t eligible at the time because of high blood sugar.
So, Krissy took up hiking and made lifestyle changes to improve her fitness and health in case the opportunity to donate a kidney ever came up.
Running into Schiller on that trail was the sign she needed. She immediately offered her kidney to him!
“The day I met Schiller, I said a prayer in my house,” she told Jennifer Hudson. “I specifically prayed about whether or not I should start the process to donate a kidney. That’s how specific my prayer was!”
Luckily, the two were a perfect match, and in April 2024, the two underwent a successful kidney transplant.
Today, Shiller is in good health, and he and Krissy consider one another family, forever connected by the life-changing gift of organ donation.
“I say this — she's not a friend. She's family," said Shiller. "I'm gonna tell my grandkids, great grandkids that god sent an angel.”
Signing up to become an organ donor is an amazing act that can help another person (or people!) live their life to its fullest. If you’re interested in learning about organ donation and how you can sign up to be a donor, head to organdonor.gov.
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