It dwarfs diamonds. It outclasses rubies, and it upstages gold. It even bests a yacht, or a summer home, or a fancy luxury car.

“He is literally going to give me life. So it’s an amazing gift.”

This year, Cindy Chafian is celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary. Two decades ago, she married her husband, Scott, then a United States Navy sailor (he would go on to serve for more than 20 years total). While their future looked bright, there was something ugly which hung on the horizon: Cindy had been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in her 20s, a hereditary ailment, and would need multiple surgeries and dialysis many times over, down the road.

Recently, her situation got dire.

“It’s devastating,” said Scott to local station WTKR. “It was just a feeling of helplessness.”

To save his wife’s life, the military veteran — who retired from the service a few years ago — stepped up and offered to donate one of his kidneys. He originally offered about six years ago, but was turned down by Cindy, who didn’t think it was necessary.

Then came last year.

“I hit kind of rock bottom, and I looked at him and I said okay, I’m ready,” she said.

She’s going to receive the transplant on January 24, which is a day before their anniversary.

“To know that he’s kind of giving me that ability is even more of an amazing gift. He powers me in so many ways.”

Friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple with costs accrued from the leave they’ll need to take from their respective jobs both pre and post surgery.