HOUSTON — A Houston-area friendship forged through a shared love of Harry Potter took an extraordinary turn when one fan donated her kidney to her best friend, saving her life just before the holidays.
Megan Carpenter and Misty Brooks first connected six years ago through a Facebook page dedicated to Disney and Harry Potter memes. What began as an online connection blossomed into a deep friendship, with the women taking family trips together and bonding over their mutual interests.
Brooks had a progressive genetic kidney disease and faced a critical health challenge. Determined to avoid dialysis, she put out a plea on social media seeking a kidney donor. Twenty people responded—a number her medical coordinator described as extremely rare.
Carpenter, without expecting to be a match, underwent weeks of rigorous testing. On July 31—Harry Potter's birthday—she learned she was the perfect donor. Ten days ago, she underwent surgery at Methodist Hospital to donate her left kidney to Brooks.
"I never expected to be a match, but I knew if I could be, I would," Carpenter said. Brooks, now feeling revitalized.
"I feel amazing," Brooks said. "I've been running in a toxic state for a few years now."
The women's remarkable journey demonstrates the profound depths of friendship, transforming a shared passion for a fictional world into a real-life act of extraordinary generosity.