The London Health Sciences Multi-Organ Transplant Program is celebrating a milestone and one couple's love story is helping mark the occasion.

The department recently completed the 500th living donor kidney transplant, raising the total number of kidney transplants to 2,500.

Karen Mercier received the 500th transplant, thanks to her husband Rick.

They met three years ago through an online dating website and it was a perfect match in more ways than one.

"I gave her one of my kidneys,” says Rick, a retired Canadian forces armoured tank commander.

Rick supported Karen through her difficult symptoms, including fatigue, high blood pressure and severe itching.

Karen had been suffering from a chronic kidney condition, IgA Nephritis, which occurs when a protein (IgA) that usually helps the body fight infections settles in the kidneys instead. She was diagnosed 27 years ago.

“I felt blessed when Rick came into my life and even more so when he offered such a selfless gift without hesitation,” says Karen.

“Right from the beginning I knew I needed a transplant. I sure didn't think it was going to be at this point. I thought it would be another 20 years.

Karen says Rick insisted on being tested first.

"She’s my wife. She's the woman I love and I want her to stick around as long as she can for her to continue enjoying our life together,” he says.

Living donor kidney transplant has become an increasingly popular option because of the success rate and the fact it involves shorter wait times.

Dr. Patrick Luke performed the transplant using robotic surgery.

"The main thing is to make sure the donor has good kidney function and is healthy enough to undergo the operation. Unrelated donors do very well these days," Luke says.

The need for organ donors remains high.

"It's really tough to watch patients who are in the clinics requiring organs. But if you have a hero like a living donor or a deceased donor that comes through, that turns the table around, that's life saving."

For Karen and Rick, it was a gif of love and a gift of life.

"We're newlyweds . We've only been married two and a half years," he says.

Karen says she can never repay him.

"It is the greatest gift anyone could give me. …I'm going to have a quality of life that's much longer and better because of it."