Scott Chafian's 20th wedding anniversary gift is hard to top

There are wedding anniversary gift goals and then there are wedding anniversary gift goals. And in 2017, Cindy received the best 20th wedding anniversary gift she could have ever hoped for.

Cindy Chafian of Suffolk, Virginia had been suffering for years from a genetic disorder called polycystic kidney disease which causes cysts to grow and damage her kidneys. Though diagnosed at 22, the true deterioration began at the age of 38. Her left kidney had already been removed earlier but unfortunately now her right was shutting down as well. On regular dialysis, she was suffering tremendously.

The match for a kidney transplantation, as it turned out, was not too far away.

Now some spouses may be particularly picky when it comes to sharing stuff but you get the feeling Scott Chafian isn't one of them. After all,
when he realized he was a match, it was he who tried extra hard to convince her to accept his kidney though she refused for years. He eventually convinced her after a particularly bad invasive procedure for her.

“It had been like I was sitting at the starting line of a race, and when she said yes, I couldn’t wait to get started,”

- Scott Chafian.  

The transplant took place the day before their 20th anniversary - the China anniversary - and coming out of anaesthesia after a long surgery, Scott's first two questions ignoring his own pain were only this -

"Is she okay?"

"Did it work?"

She was okay and it did work. 

The hospital celebrated the couple's anniversary after the successful surgery with cake, flowers, balloons and sparkling cider

Husband and wife did get to leave the hospital to live a life together with their five children once more... happier, healthier and perhaps more in love than on the day they took their wedding vows 20 years ago.

Scott and Cindy Chafian on their wedding day on Jan 25, 1997. 'In sickness and health', indeed.

“There was a time when I don’t think Cindy saw a light. That was so frustrating, because I felt like the light could be there. And now, on the recovery side of it ... I would do it again if I could."

- Scott Chafian

You can hear from Cindy and Scott Chafian directly in the video below:

Author's note:
This is part of my #BlogchatterA2Z and  #AtoZChallenge where I will be focusing on Real Life Heroes of Kindness and Compassion. 

Of course, I have been tracking these lovely human beings for years now and have found children as young as six years old and old women in their eighties from across the world who will restore your faith in humanity.

Want more stories of compassion to brighten up your day? Hundreds of 'Heroes of Kindness' can be found here:

Heroes of Kindness - 2017 edition
Heroes of Kindness - 2018 edition
Heroes of Kindness - 2019 edition
Heroes of Kindness - Indian edition