FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Coast Guard Commander Molly Waters was riding her motorcycle to work on May 13 when she was hit by a car. She died in the hospital from her injuries a few days later.
"She was 37 years old, extremely healthy, extremely active, in the prime of her life," Lt. Commander Jeannette Greene, Waters' sister, said.
Greene also serves in the Coast Guard.
In Waters' will, she listed that she wanted to donate her organs. As it turned out, a fellow sailor's mom needed one.
Lt. Commander Matthew Brinkley went through the academy with Greene, and they quickly became friends.
Waters was two years ahead in school, and trained both of them.
"She was awesome at what she did," Brinkley said. "She was commander of two ships in the Coast Guard … She was just an amazing person."
Brinkley said he was heartbroken to hear that Waters would never wake up, but when he heard that she was donating her organs, he thought of an idea he hoped would help bring the family some comfort.
"My mom has been in and out of the hospital for many, many years with renal failure," Matthew Brinkley said. "I thought okay, let’s just try, and thank God Jeannie took it for what it was."
He texted Greene in part:
"Can I ask what might seem like an insensitive question ... do you know where her organs are going?... My mom has stage 5 renal failure and is in dire need of a kidney."
To his surprise, Greene responded, "Let's make it happen!" and they set off to figure out if Waters and Matthew Brinkley's mom, Lynne, were a match.
A series of events needed to line up perfectly for the transplant to work.
First, Waters had a "Do Not Resuscitate" card that first responders on scene didn't see. They ended up performing CPR for nearly 20 minutes until they got her to the hospital.
Waters' family also kept her on life support for multiple days, which preserved her organs.
When it came to a match, the odds were stacked against Waters and Lynne Brinkley.
Waters had blood type B, which only 4% of people in the United States have. But they were a match, and the transplant was scheduled.
"Just to sit there and hold Lynne’s hands and look into her eyes and to have someone that understands and who knows, it really meant a lot to me, and I could really feel that bond that we share," Greene said. "It is pure magic."
Lynne Brinkley was in and out of the hospital in a matter of days.
"It happened so quickly that I think I’m still in disbelief," Lynne Brinkley said. "It really is hard to comprehend that after so many years of waiting, that in a matter of 48 hours, your life completely changes. It has given me a life back and a future."
Matthew Brinkley said that to him, this epitomized the Coast Guard motto 'So others may live.'
"It’s a testament to saving lives and being there for others, and Molly truly embodies that motto so others may live by what she was able to do," he said.