Bernie’s medical team had been searching for the cause of his kidney issues for years. In 2023, they finally diagnosed him.

“I have IgG4, a rare form of IgA Nephropathy that causes my immune system to attack my body,” Bernie said. “They started me on high-dose steroids to fight it.”

The steroids helped Bernie’s kidneys, but they were also difficult on his body.

“In 2024, I had a stroke that affected my speech. I was in the hospital for a week before getting discharged,” he said.

Bernie’s doctor revealed that his kidneys failed, and the kidney transplant waitlist in his area was around 5 to 7 years.

“I was told that I would likely not survive the wait for a transplant,” he said. “Both health-wise and age-wise.”

Since the transplant list wasn’t realistic, he and his then-girlfriend, now wife, Sarah, decided to find him a living donor. They treated the search like a full-scale outreach effort, contacting friends, coworkers, music community members, and professional networks.

“We created business cards with a QR linking to donation information,” Bernie said. “It amazed me how many people responded. I went to my employer and asked if I could send a company-wide email sharing my kidney story. That’s how Hope came into my life.”

Hundreds of miles away, Hope received the company-wide email.

“I’d been thinking about becoming a living kidney donor for a long time,” she said. “Nearly a decade ago, I moved in with my aunt during a summer internship. She worked in health literacy around dialysis.”

That experience stayed with Hope.

“I learned a lot about dialysis and the impact it can have on a person’s life,” Hope said. “I also learned how donating is generally safe. I’m healthy, and I don’t need both of my kidneys.”

She ended up being a match. The first time the two met was when Hope traveled to Bernie’s home city for the final donor evaluation.

“We had dinner, and it was a really wonderful experience,” Bernie said. “It’s incredible to me that Hope would do this.”

After Hope passed the evaluation, the surgery was scheduled for July 2025.

“A week before it, Sarah and I got married,” Bernie said. “It felt right for this next phase of my life.”

While the transplant was underway, something else special happened.

“Our families met each other in the waiting room,” Bernie said. “My son drove in, my sister came, Hope’s mom and sister were there—everyone connected.”

What started as a medical connection quickly bloomed into a beautiful friendship.

“People think we’re a very unlikely pair,” Hope said. “But I can’t imagine having gone through this with anybody else.”

After the transplant, Hope and Bernie found themselves thinking about how to give back. Hope got involved with the National Kidney Foundation while the transplant sparked a desire in Bernie to help others navigate the challenges he once faced. Both hope that sharing their story encourages others to take action in whatever way they can.

“We all have something we can give,” Bernie said. “It might be donating a kidney, but it could also be donating money, volunteering, participating in a Kidney Walk, or just helping someone in another part of life.”

Already, they’ve seen the ripple effect.

“People have told us they felt inspired after hearing our story,” Hope said. “Some went to donate blood. Others volunteered at food banks. Those are wonderful outcomes too.”