Connect How did your love story begin?

We met on Tinder in 2018, connecting over our kidney journeys—Nathan was diagnosed with CKD Stage 3A at 12 y/o, and Maddie went into kidney failure in 2016 during her senior year of high school due to Alport’s Syndrome, later receiving a transplant from a living donor. That gift made our love possible. After 6 years together living in WA, MO, OR, and finally back to WA where it all began, we got engaged on March 23, 2024, and were married on July 12, 2024.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

On March 23, 2024, Nathan gave Maddie the prom she missed in high school while awaiting a kidney transplant. Disguised as an alumni award event, he surprised her with a prom-themed proposal at his undergrad alma mater. With help from loved ones, the prom Maddie never had was thrown. We were crowned Prom Queen and King while a piano cover Nathan wrote of Taylor Swift's "Lover" played in the background. After watching a slideshow of our journey Nathan got down on one knee and popped the question.

What would you do with $20,000?

As a NICU nurse (Maddie) and school-based OT (Nathan), our dream is to have a baby, but Maddie’s kidney transplant makes pregnancy high-risk. We've chosen IVF and surrogacy to grow our family. With help from loved ones and our savings, we completed one round, but unfortunately our fertility team stated we needed another round. If we won, this money would directly fund the majority of the 2nd round of IVF.