A mother of four with life-threatening kidney disease received the gift of a lifetime when she discovered her fellow Potterhead and best friend were a perfect match.
Misty Brooks, 42, received the heartbreaking news in January 2022 that one of her kidneys was failing.
Her best friend Megan Carpenter, 33, saw her friend’s health deteriorate and was secretly tested in April.
And to her delight, they fit together: they were the closest thing to a family member.
The pair, both from Houston, Texas, met in a Harry Potter fan group chat in 2018 and hit it off to the point where they arranged to meet in person.
Mother-of-one Megan told DailyMail.com: ‘We met by chance in a chat for Disney and Harry Potter fans in 2018 and we hit it off really well. The more we talked, the more we realized we had something in common.
“Now she’s my best friend, and I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Eventually, they even went on family vacations together to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, where they represented their respective Hogwarts houses.
Misty Brooks, 42, (left) and Megan Carpenter, 33, met in a Harry Potter fan group chat in 2018 and hit it off to the point where they arranged to meet in person
Megan and Misty took a family vacation together to Orlando, Florida, to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Studios
In 2022, Misty was dealt a crushing blow by doctors who told her her kidney function had dropped to 19 percent and she would have to start dialysis if she wasn’t matched with a donor quickly.
Misty, who works in oil and gas supply chain management, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease 20 years ago.
But in 2022, she was dealt a crushing blow by doctors who told her her kidney function had dropped to 19 percent and she would have to start dialysis if she wasn’t matched with a donor quickly.
Dialysis – a treatment that removes excess fluid and waste products from the blood when the kidneys can no longer function properly – scared Misty, who explained “when you get dialysis, you have to get sicker to move up.”
Misty said: ‘My kidney was not functioning normally and my body was overloaded with toxins.
‘I tried to keep myself active but my legs were swollen and I was in pain because I had a build-up of acid around the joints that the kidneys are supposed to expel.
‘I was constantly tired and suffered from brain fog. It was life and death. If I didn’t get a kidney or go on dialysis, I would die.
‘I decided to go for the transplant. The anxiety started when I realized that if it didn’t work, I would have to go on dialysis. It was scary.’
Megan, an executive assistant, watched Misty’s health deteriorate in the two years after she received the devastating news.
Megan secretly began the testing process in April and, after weeks of testing, discovered she was a perfect match – the closest outside of a family member
Misty, who was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease 20 years ago, drank ‘butter beers’ with best friend Megan at Harry Potter World’s Hogsmeade attraction
Before the surgery on December 3, Misty assured her friend that if she wanted to change her mind, it wouldn’t ruin their friendship – but Megan was determined to save her friend’s life.
Misty poses with the nurses who helped her during her kidney transplant after being cleared to leave the Houston Methodist Transplant Unit on December 6
‘I saw the impact the disease had on her health and quality of life, especially in the last few years when her functioning really started to decline.
“I knew a transplant would give her more years with her children and give her back the ability to really live and enjoy life, and not just feel terrible all the time.”
When 33-year-old Megan got tested and discovered she was a match, she immediately contacted her best friend.
Remembering that special moment, Misty said, “When we found out Megan was a direct match, we both cried. The doctors said it was as good as it could be without it being a family member.”
The women were nervous about the surgery because they knew the risks, but undergoing it together brought Megan some comfort. Misty even reassured her friend at one point that if she wanted to change her mind, it wouldn’t ruin their friendship – but Megan was determined to save her friend’s life.
Megan explained, “There were a lot of ‘what ifs’ going through my head.
‘At the same time, I had no doubts about going through with the operation. I had complete confidence in our teams and it just felt like it was meant for me.”
On December 3, the best friends entered the operating room at the Houston Methodist Transplant Unit. Now they are recovering at home after the successful operation.
Megan was in the operating room on December 3 and was discharged two days after surgery
Misty wrote on Facebook that her vitals are fantastic and that she is taking home 15 medications that need to be “refined” based on her lab results.
Misty was released from the hospital on December 6. Her care unit sent her off with a poem titled ‘one more chance’ to celebrate the mother of four’s new life
Megan was able to go home on December 5, and other than a little soreness, Misty’s vital signs were “fantastic,” the 44-year-old wrote. Facebook that same day.
“I am hopeful that this upward trend will continue as I begin outpatient recovery next week,” Misty wrote. “I’m taking home 15 new medications, which I’ll have to juggle carefully over the next few weeks as the dosages and medications are adjusted based on my lab results.”
The now recovering Misty was discharged on December 6.
Misty told DailyMail.com that the duo are no longer just best friends, but are sisters, bonded not only by their shared love of the Harry Potter fandom, but also by an organ.
“I will do everything I can to take care of the kidney she donated,” said Misty, a mother of four. “Words cannot fully express the depth of my gratitude for the incredible gift she has given me.
“She not only changed my life, she saved it. Her selflessness, kindness and courage leave me in awe and I am so blessed to call her my best friend.
“I always knew she was special, but I didn’t know our friendship would grow into something that would change my life. And the fact that she was willing to give me a second chance at life by donating her kidney is a testament to the incredible person she is.
“I will live life to the fullest and cherish every moment she made possible for me.”
Misty is on anti-rejection treatment for her new kidney, but she plans to return to work remotely in January.