Killeen husband gives wife ultimate Christmas gift: his kidney

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - For nearly five years, Shatera McDowell has started her days at 4 a.m., three times a week, preparing for dialysis appointments that keep her alive but drain her spirit.

The routine has meant missing her 13-year-old daughter’s pep squad performances and struggling with the physical exhaustion that follows each blood-cleaning session. But just days before Christmas, McDowell received news that would change everything: her husband Damarkius was a perfect kidney match.

“They were like, ‘Congratulations, you’re a match,’” Shatera McDowell said. “I was excited, but I was emotional because it’s like... this is it. This is finally come to an end.”

A mother’s sacrifice

McDowell’s kidney troubles began in 2012 during her pregnancy with daughter Dezaria. Preeclampsia, a condition causing high blood pressure during pregnancy, damaged her kidneys. She underwent dialysis before and after giving birth, but her kidneys stabilized after three months.

The reprieve lasted nine years. What started as a simple toothache led to pain medication that ultimately sent her back to dialysis permanently. McDowell didn’t know the over-the-counter pain medication she was taking could damage her kidneys.

“It started out honestly with a toothache. I was in so much pain. I was taking over the counter pain medication,” she said.

The return to dialysis meant a return to a life governed by medical appointments and physical limitations.

“It’s not living a normal life,” McDowell said. “Some days her games are on the days that I’ve had my dialysis and I don’t have the energy to go. There’s been plenty of times where I’ve pushed myself to go, of course, because that’s my daughter.”

The search begins

Six months ago, McDowell joined the transplant list, beginning what she thought would be a long search for a compatible donor. The process felt overwhelming.

“When they put you on the list, they just basically tell you like, ‘Okay, now go find a donor.’ So I was lost. I didn’t know what to do,” she said.

She turned to social media, sharing her story and medical needs with friends, family and strangers. Months passed without success.

Then Damarkius McDowell stepped forward with an offer.

“With no hesitation, I’m willing to do it for my wife,” Damarkius McDowell said.

Christmas miracle

Damarkius McDowell underwent compatibility testing in December. A week later, the couple received the call that would end their five-year struggle.

The man who had watched his wife endure countless early morning appointments and missed family moments was the perfect match she had been searching for.

“I told him that was my Christmas gift from him,” Shatera McDowell said.

The couple now waits for their surgery date, planning to stay near their hospital in San Antonio during Shatera’s recovery. For her, the transplant represents more than medical relief—it means returning to the active mother she wants to be.

“I want to get back active with my daughter, make it to her games, be supportive for what she has going on in school,” she said.

The end of her five-year medical journey was living under the same roof the entire time.

A GoFundMe has been established to help the family with recovery expenses in San Antonio.

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