When we turn on our television or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? Those stories are still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.

A woman recently gave up a kidney for someone she didn’t know because she said God told her to do it.

Crysti Shirley saw a Facebook post back in March about a man who needed a kidney. He was a father of two named Jim Abed. He’d been on the transplant list for about two years and his time was short. The post was by Maysa Munsey Slominski, Shirley’s former co-worker and Abed’s cousin.

The post caught Shirley’s eye. “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 kidney.” 

Shirley told Fox News that, “I knew in my heart that I was meant to give him my kidney. I can’t explain it.” She contacted Slominski, who helped her start the process of finding out if she was a match. After tests and evaluations, Shirley found out that she was a perfect match to Abed.

A True Calling

Slominski explained that Shirley “felt like there was true calling, that her faith was telling her to do this.” She added that doctors didn’t expect a complete stranger to be her cousin’s closest match.

On July 26, the two had surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Shirley had an “overwhelming sense of peace” the morning of the surgery. “It went beautifully,” she said.

“If it wasn’t for [Crysti Shirley], I would be attending a funeral,” said Slominski. “She is a beautiful person.”

Although Abed’s family believes Shirley’s gift was a blessing, Shirley was the one blessed. “I am the one who received the blessing. My hope is that he can go out and live a full, beautiful life. God called me to do this. There is no thanks that’s needed.”