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Husband Spends A Year Dieting And Exercising To Save Wife's Life With Kidney Transplant

February 7, 2016

PJ Spraggins has spent a year losing 70 pounds so he could donate his kidney to his wife.

Spraggins was delighted when he discovered he was a perfect match for wife Tracy, who was told her life-long battle with Lupus would kill her if she didn't get a transplant - the waiting list is seven years.

But the next day, the Birmingham, Alabama, couple were dealt a blow: his blood pressure was too high to perform the operation. Refusing to accept the diagnosis, Spraggins embarked on a relentless fitness regime.

Finally, in December 2014, the Spraggins got the green light. In February, they went under the knife together.

Now 39, Tracy was six when she was first diagnosed with the chronic inflammatory disease which affects her kidney functions.

She was placed on the transplant list in 2013 - just a few months after her 34-year-old sister, who also had Lupus, died following complications from a kidney transplant.

Knowing that the seven-year wait might be too long, PJ submitted himself for the weeks-long evaluation to assess whether he could donate his kidney.

"They said I was a perfect match but they wanted to check I was healthy and met their requirements, PJ told Daily Mail. "They sent me a blood pressure monitor, but they didn't like the numbers. That was a real kick in the gut."

Eventually, they made it to Nashville's Vanderbilt Hospital in December 2014. PJ made sure he did everything he could to ensure the readings were perfect.

"It has just been amazing," PJ said. "To know that I did everything I could to give my wife a better quality of life is just the best feeling. I am so happy."