Nationwide — Shaunne Hall and Monte Hall, an African American married couple from North Carolina, faced a sudden health crisis when Monte learned that his kidneys were failing. She later donated one of her kidneys, helping her husband through a difficult transplant journey.
The couple first met in 1996 at Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They started as college friends before their relationship grew into marriage. Years later, Monte received unexpected news during a routine check-up. Doctors told him his kidneys were failing, even though he had never had kidney problems before.
The situation became more serious when doctors discovered an aortic aneurysm. Monte needed emergency heart surgery before he could move forward with a kidney transplant. Shaunne stayed beside him throughout the health crisis. She also began testing to find out if she could donate one of her kidneys to Monte.
When doctors confirmed that she was a match, Shaunne decided to surprise her husband. She gave Monte a small model kidney for their anniversary and then told him that she would be his donor. “These are true vows, ’till death do us part,’ and if I can help keep ‘us’ part, then let’s go,” Shaunne told WLWT.
On July 13, the couple underwent their surgeries at the same hospital. Their operating rooms were on the same floor, and their procedures took place about 30 minutes apart.
The couple still found room for humor during the emotional experience. After the transplant, Monte said the kidney had been working continuously and joked that it was his wife’s kidney. Their family and friends also helped them through the difficult period. When fear became overwhelming, the couple leaned on each other and focused on keeping their faith.
“It’s only one F in the alphabet. Are you going to live by faith or fear? So we definitely lived by faith, but our faith was tested,” Monte said.
Both Shaunne and Monte are recovering and hope to return to full health. Shaunne said the experience has created an even deeper bond between them. The couple now encourages others to learn their family medical history and stay on top of regular health check-ups.