Nervous and anxious.

How do you fully thank a stranger…

Get to meet the guy that saved my life.

…for answering your months of prayer?

You changed my life forever.

Meet Ernie McKnight and Edgar Vazquez.

Now forever connected by way of a kidney.

{super: Ernie McKnight/kidney recipient}

I get to watch my daughter grow up now because of you.

So why would a 26-year-old become a living donor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas for a man he never met?

{super: Edgar Vazquez/kidney donor}

Just something inside me just some force kind of pushed me to take that extra step.

It’s very obvious the amount of joy this decision has produced.

{Ernie} Not a lot of people hear the call, but god I’m so grateful that you heard it. Thank you. Welcome to the family.

A family redefining what it means to give back.

You see, McKnight needed a new kidney after cancer left both of his failing for nearly the past decade.

My kidney function was at 4 percent the day of surgery.

His wife volunteered to donate hers.

But she wasn’t a match.

{Lisa}  I had the mistaken notion that because I’m not a blood match for my husband that there’s no way for me to help in this process.

Then she learned about paired donation.

A kidney swap.

She gave one of hers so her husband could receive one from someone else.

{super: Lisa McKnight/kidney donor}

It’s a great feeling to be able to help save someone’s life and add quality.

And that’s how her path crossed with Christopher Barney.

Prayer answered.

The proud father of four fought kidney disease since 2010 and desperately needed a transplant.

{super: Christopher Barney/kidney recipient}

I got the call and it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Hey, you’re going to have surgery January the 8^th.

By chance, he met Lisa that day in the waiting room.

We were one of the last ones to be called on that morning. We just kind of put it together that we were being matched together.

Together helping keep families whole and showing the beauty of paying it forward.

I was sharing with Ernie. Someone was saying wow, I’ve never really seen a miracle before, and I said hello. How you doing. My name is Christopher. I am a miracle.