This past December, Toshira Maldonado-McIntosh, went on Facebook to ask for prayers for her husband, Roy, who was in need of a kidney transplant. She posted a message to the Facebook group “The Laughing Christian” looking for comfort and support for their dire situation.
“Please pray for my husband that God sends a type B+ living kidney donor to him,” she wrote. “We believe in God for a miracle. Please pray for him.”
She believed in the power of prayer, and it was that simple prayer which connected her husband Roy to Heather Schafer.
Heather Schafer lived 1,700 miles away in Harker Heights, Texas and when she read the post on Facebook she thought ‘that’s for me. Somehow I just knew I had a part to play. So, I messaged the lady about 30 minutes later and wrote, ‘I am B+ [blood type] and I’d like to look into if I can donate my kidney.'”
Toshira admitted to being hesitant about the possible donation from a complete stranger but gave Heather the necessary information to contact the living-donor coordinator, all while hoping God sent the answer to her prayers.
“What are the odds that a Caribbean man in New Jersey and a woman from Scotland living in Texas would even find one another, let alone be compatible?” she told CBN News.
After a few months and completing all the tests, Heather was a perfect match to donate a kidney to Roy.
During this time, Heather decided to make a YouTube video blog of her journey called “Adventures with My Kidney.”
“Making the videos helped me organize my own thoughts and explain the process to my loved ones. I also hoped sharing my story would remove some of the mystery and help other people consider becoming an organ donor too,” Heather said.
Roy was on dialysis three days a week for 5 hours at a time. He was overjoyed to no longer need the treatment and believed God had a plan to match them up.
In June at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, Roy McIntosh underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery all thanks to the bravery and courage of Heather.
Heather and her children got a chance to me Roy, his wife and their children eight weeks after the surgery where an unbreakable bond was created lasting a lifetime.
“We love Heather and we are forever grateful,” Roy said.
Heather described her experience as a “Perfect stranger, perfect match, perfect God.”
Read more about Roy & Heather’s story here