An outsider might wonder why Casey McDermott chose to donate part of his liver to a woman he had only met a couple of times. After all, he certainly had plenty going on in his life—he was 24 and had recently moved to Fort Collins, Colo., to pursue a master’s degree in toxicology. He was in his prime, but he chose to take a break and give the gift of life.

Casey’s reasoning is simple: “She needed a liver, and I had one.”

Casey had become friends with his former basketball coach and attended a benefit the family organized for his wife’s sister, who needed a liver transplant. He decided to undergo testing at UW Health, and the next thing he knew, he was the guy with the matching liver. Since the surgery, he has become close with his recipient’s entire family. “These people mean a lot to me,” he says. “I didn't know her well, but I couldn’t live with myself knowing there was something I could do to help her. It was an opportunity to do some good.”