LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Shad Collie's million dollar smile and contagious laugh is what his friends and family will always remember.
"His energy is electrifying and it's contagious and he's just a big bundle of love," said Kristina Collie, his wife. "He was pretty much the rock for this family."
She never could have imagined last weekend would be her last with her high school sweetheart. This unexpected loss, by a massive hemorrhagic stroke, led to a phone call to an old friend.
Audra Allen is a friend of the couple's from high school and she has been in dire need of a kidney.
As an organ donor, it was something Shad now had to offer.
Kristina thought the odds of the two being a perfect match were unlikely until she got the call.
"She said they approved me for my surgery and I need to pack my bags because they were a match. It was an out of body experience for me, because even with the pain that all of us were going through, the love he had for people was exactly what he wanted to leave with," Kristina said.
Right before surgery, they had another call with Audra. It was another reminder that her husband will always be remembered as a hero. As a man who loved people, he was able to give one last priceless gift to an old friend.
"You could walk into a room and everybody could be on their bottom lip and within minutes they were on top of the world," Kristina said. "It's an amazing, selfless gift of love."
Kristina and Shad had life insurance until May 31, 2020, when Kristina’s job terminated the policy due to COVID-19. A GoFundMe was created to try to help Kristina and her family during this trying time. People are also able to send donations to contribute to Shad's Celebration of life. Click here to donate.
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