Many couples vow to have and to hold for better or worse, in sickness and in health, but few imagine at that point what challenges the future might hold.

For this redditor, it wasn’t her spouse who ended the relationship when her health took a turn for the worse. She herself realized she no longer felt the same way about her husband after a friend donated his kidney for her—something her husband refused to do.

Any relationship can turn upside down at any point, especially after a life-altering event

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)

This woman’s world was turned upside down when her friend donated a kidney for her

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: throwra-Fox-2800

The majority of individuals on the waiting list for an organ transplant are waiting for a kidney

Unfortunately, according to the American Kidney Fund, there are over 106,000 people on the waiting list for an organ transplant in the US alone; out of them, the vast majority—roughly 92,000 individuals—are waiting for a kidney.

Based on last year’s data, the kidney was both the organ that the majority on the waiting list needed and the organ that was transplanted the most over the year 2023. Others included the liver, the heart, and the lung that lined up respectively according to both the number of people in need of one and those who were lucky enough to receive it.

Unfortunately, getting on the list is just one of the steps towards a better life quality for people with medical issues. The American Kidney Fund emphasized that finding the right match from the list depends on numerous factors, such as the age of the recipient, the blood type of both of those involved, and the size of the donor kidney compared to the size of the recipient’s body, among other things.

A beam of light in a situation as grim as this, though, is that it’s possible for a living person to become a kidney donor. As a matter of fact, it reportedly is the most commonly donated organ by a living person, which they have given away to a relative, a friend, or even someone they don’t know.

Many people seem to support the idea of organ donation even if they haven’t registered to do it themselves

Despite not being actually obligated to—which some netizens in the comments made sure to point out—spouses reportedly comprise the largest group of living kidney donors. Research revealed that after taking the big step, the majority of them said that the relationship with their partner remained unchanged or took a turn for the better.

While spouses and others close to the individual in need of a transplant often become their guardian angels, strangers do, too; sometimes thanks to the relatives of said angel. After losing a loved one, family members can choose to donate their organs, that way providing hope for and often even saving the life of another person.

Some individuals opt for helping others themselves by registering to be an organ donor in the case of their death. Data suggests that roughly six-in-ten Americans are registered to become an organ donor, even though the absolute majority—roughly 95%—are in favor of such a deed.

Be that as it may, every person has their own reasons whether to become an organ donor or not, as likely did the OP’s husband. But while he chose not to undergo the testing required to see if he was a good match, the redditor’s friend stepped in, which eventually resulted in the OP’s life taking another unexpected turn.

Bored Panda has reached out to the OP via Reddit and will update the article once we’ve heard back from her.

The redditor revealed more details in the comments

Fellow redditors seemingly split into camps over whether or not the OP was a jerk in the situation, quite a few didn’t think so

Others weren’t as supportive of the redditor

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