HOUSTON (KTRK/CNN) - The laughs are coming easier for Steven Stockton and his family.
It hasn't always been this way.
"You know what they say? God laughs when people make plans," he said of his ordeal.
For the past 25 years, Stockton has battled diabetes. The condition has taken a heavy toll on him through that time, and he had recently been in need of a new kidney.
"I’ve lost both my legs. I've lost probably about 20 percent of my life to it, and if I don't get a kidney soon, I'm going to lose my life to it,” he said.
Instead of waiting for a donor, his wife made a plea on their SUV.
“She wanted to do whatever she could to help me," he said.
Over two years, several supporters reached out. But for financial and medical reasons, Stockton never got a match.
The winds changed last month when Stockton visited a Chinese restaurant.
Melinda Cavazos noticed the words as she walked into work.
"I came in through the front door and went straight to the drive-thru and I said, ‘Your husband needs a kidney?’ She said, ‘yes.’ I said, ‘I'll do it,’" Cavazos said.
The next day, she started the process to donate her kidney to Stockton.
“She saw the sign on my window and the rest is history," he said.
Doctors have determined she's a medical match. She now just needs to clear a few more tests.
"I want everybody to know how it is to walk your child down the aisle and he deserves it," she said.
Stockton was overwhelmed by the generosity.
"Somebody that's willing to give me life so I can be with (my family) a little bit longer, it's just awe-inspiring," he said.
Stockton isn't allowed to give a donor money. For Cavazos, that's not what she wanted anyways.
"Once I give him my kidney, he's stuck with me, and I'm family. You hear that Steven? We're going to be family," she said.
It’s a deal Stockton is sure to keep no matter the outcome.
"From here on out, I consider her best of friends, and just like a sister," he said.
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