Man's new wife is perfect kidney match

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DALLAS, June 20 (UPI) -- A Dallas man said it was a "miracle" when his new wife turned out to be a perfect match for the kidney transplant he needs to survive.

Jonathan Woodlief said lupus destroyed his kidneys as a child and the transplant he received from his mother at the age of 18 began to fail last year, WFAA-TV, Dallas, reported Wednesday.

Woodlief said the state of his antibodies meant he needed to find a 99 percent match for a second transplant to work.

"So my antibodies are about 99 percent, which means that I match to about 1 percent of the population," Woodlief said. "That was definitely ... just heartbreaking to hear."

Woodlief said he and his fiancee, Caitlin, decided to go ahead with their wedding in October. He said his health began declining this year and he and his wife were shocked and amazed to discover her kidneys were a perfect match for him.

"The doctor called it a miracle," Jonathan Woodlief said. "We believe it's a miracle, and we're grateful for that."

The couple said their surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.