After years of dialysis, a Central Texas man is preparing for a transplant made possible by a woman who saw his story online and felt called to help.
LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas — Two strangers met for the first time — soon to be forever connected through the power of a kidney donation.
For more than two years, Michael Miller has been fighting a battle his body couldn’t win on its own. A diabetes diagnosis led to high blood pressure and eventually kidney failure.
“I’m diabetic… it started eating at my kidneys… the dye… ultimately killed my kidneys off,” Miller said.
What followed was a life of dialysis every other day, long, exhausting treatments filled with uncertainty about the future.
“Finding out that I was getting a kidney… it’s life-changing,” Miller said.
That life-changing moment came from someone he had never met.
Brandi Watkins came across Miller’s story on social media and felt an immediate calling to help. Working in radiology, she said she often sees patients on some of the most difficult days of their lives — a perspective that shaped her decision.
“Also, being in radiology, we see a lot of people on the worst day of their lives… I just saw that and thought, OK, it’s meant to be,” Watkins said.
The two spent weeks talking on the phone, forming a connection before ever meeting in person.
“I feel like we’re already family,” Watkins said.
For Miller, the donation represents more than survival — it means time. Time with his children, time to return to work and time to live without the daily toll of dialysis.
“This is giving me more time that I wasn’t going to be able to have with my kids… it’s changing my entire life,” he said.
Now, just days away from surgery, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, both say they are feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.
“Just excited,” Miller said. “A little nervous… but I try to put my faith in God… I know everything’s going to be perfect.”
Miller’s family says they will be traveling frequently for follow-up care after the transplant and have set up a GoFundMe to help cover expenses. A link to donate can be found here.