A Kentucky bride-to-be is preparing for her wedding day, but the couple's remarkable love story began more than 20 years ago with a life-saving organ donation.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Brooklyn Dotson is set to marry Noah Waters, the brother of the boy whose donated liver saved her life when she was a child.
In 2003, doctors diagnosed Dotson with a rare liver condition and gave her just three days to live.
Her chances of survival appeared incredibly slim until she received a liver transplant from Noah's late brother, Michael Waters.
Kentucky Bride Received Life-Saving Liver Transplant
After doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis, Dotson's family desperately searched for a donor.
"They told my mom to go ahead and call the funeral home and make my arrangements," Dotson told Lex 18.
Her mother refused to give up hope and continued searching for a way to save her daughter's life.
That hope came through Michael, a 10-year-old boy from Dayton, Ohio, who tragically died after a car struck him.
Despite his young age, Michael had already made his desire to become an organ donor clear to his family.
"Even as a kid, he'd do anything for anybody... he was way more mature than he needed to be," Noah said.
Michael's parents honored their son's wishes by donating his organs to people desperately in need of transplants.
Dotson became one of those recipients and underwent the life-saving procedure at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Organ Donation Leads to Remarkable Love Story
In the years following the transplant, Dotson and Michael's brother, Noah, developed a close friendship.
Eventually, that friendship blossomed into something more.
"I realized that I kind of had feelings and it was after my birthday," Dotson said.
"My mom had contacted him and was like, 'I think Brooke likes you' and that same weekend he came to see me."
More than two decades after Michael's organ donation saved Dotson's life, she and Noah are now preparing to marry on September 26.
"I'd say he probably knew what his purpose was. I had no idea that my brother was gonna save my wife's life 20 years later," Noah added.
As the couple prepare for their special day, Dotson has vowed to continue honoring Michael's memory.
His decision to become an organ donor not only gave her a second chance at life, but ultimately created a connection that would bring two families together for more than 20 years.
