Brett Epps married his kidney donor Alixandra CiriglianoEpps had been diagnosed in October 2014 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare disease characterized by scarring in the part of the kidney that filters blood. Because his kidneys were functioning at just 13 percent, Epps had to undergo nine hours of dialysis at home each evening.
The former wrestler -- a three-time Somerset County Tournament champion and third-place Prep National Tournament finisher who went on to compete at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania -- had been searching for a kidney for more than 18 months.
Epps learned in April 2016 that his then-girlfriend Cirigliano had a kidney that would work for him. From the start, Cirigliano wanted to give Epps one of her kidneys. However, for a time, Epps refused her offer, believing it was his responsibility to protect her. However, after Cirigliano made it clear that she wanted to spend her life with him -- and that might not be a possibility if he did not receive a new kidney -- Epps agreed to accept her gift of life.
The initial transplant -- scheduled for June 1, 2016 -- had to be postponed because Epps' blood pressure spiked prior to surgery. Once that issue was resolved, the second attempt at a transplant was completely successful.
"Even without the special circumstances surrounding their engagement, love and marriage is still a remarkable thing," the groom's father, Kurt Epps, told MyCentralNewJersey.com. "It's still what moves the world. However it happens is a wonderful thing, but because they have such circumstances to deal with, I think for them it means a whole lot more."
Kurt Epps said his son told him, "I'm the happiest man in the world," adding, "That's all you want to hear from your kid." He previously said the romantic tale between Brett and Alixandra is "really a story about the power of love."
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