{"id":366839,"date":"2026-07-09T13:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/366839\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T13:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:37:23","slug":"keller-couple-endures-kidney-transplant-journey-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/366839\/","title":{"rendered":"Keller couple endures kidney transplant journey together"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jennifer<\/p>\n

Jennifer Hill-Gowans. Her husband Kennus Gowans is donating a kidney to Jennifer this September.<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Jennifer Hill-Gowans<\/p>\n

A Keller couple is facing the true meaning of their vows to be with each other in sickness and in health.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Hill-Gowans is facing a life-threatening illness. Her husband Kennus Gowans has stood by her side as her health deteriorated over the last few years.<\/p>\n

The couple, who has been married for 26 years, said Jennifer started getting sick in 2020. After multiple doctors\u2019 appointments and emergency room visits, she was diagnosed with stage five kidney failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I found out, it was devastating,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cEspecially because for me, it was a very fast-track process of how this all came about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer, who was a professional matchmaker, had to take a step back from her career and face the new reality of what she could do daily. After the diagnosis, the couple tapped into their nearly three decades of love and support for each other.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer Jennifer Hill-Gowans and her husband Kennus Gowans. Kennus is donating a kidney to Jennifer this September. Courtesy of Jennifer Hill-Gowans Another match<\/p>\n

\u201cI allowed myself a moment to process it,\u201d Jennifer said about her diagnosis. \u201cTo be devastated about it, because it was devastating to me, and I had to figure out going forward: What is this going to look like for me 10 years down the road?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Jennifer\u2019s kidney deteriorated to the point of needing a transplant. The couple originally thought that Kennus might be a likely match because of his good health and active lifestyle, but a check-up revealed that his blood pressure was slightly elevated and was initially told by doctors he didn\u2019t qualify.<\/p>\n

The couple said it was heartbreaking to get that news from doctors, which opened the door to a new level of anxiety.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until this March, during a trip to Nashville for the American Kidney Fund<\/a> conference, where they learned from other ambassadors and leaders that a match test is not a one-and-done situation. Kennus got re-tested.<\/p>\n

Kennus, who had been working to improve his own health through more exercise and an even better diet, went through a rigorous, all-day physical exam that included a blood test, 24-hour urinalysis, heart tests, a CT scan and more.<\/p>\n

Doctors found that Kennus\u2019 antibodies were a match, and showed that there was less of a chance for Jennifer\u2019s body to reject the new kidney. With the help of a microdose of blood pressure medication, he was approved by the hospital transplant board to be a living donor for Jennifer.<\/p>\n

The matchmaker found her match, again.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer Jennifer Hill-Gowans and her husband Kennus Gowans. Kennus is donating a kidney to Jennifer this September. Courtesy of Jennifer Hill-Gowans <\/p>\n

Jennifer said finding out Kennus could give her a kidney was an incredible moment for the couple.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re an extremely close couple and soul mates,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a joke in our family. People are like, \u2018You guys are out here like the real life Adam and Eve, he is going to give you a piece of him to help you live.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennus said it brought tears to his eyes when he was able to tell his wife the good news: \u201cIt\u2019s like the conclusion of a long painful process that you\u2019ve had to watch your spouse go through.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple set up a GoFundMe campaign<\/a> to help with the cost of recovery and time off of work for the procedure. Their surgeries are tentatively for September 4.<\/p>\n

Jennifer said while this wasn\u2019t part of the plans they had made for their life, she made the decision to pivot and do what she can. She now is an ambassador for the American Kidney Fund<\/a> and runs a Facebook page called Texas Cares Kidney Connection<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started educating myself and wanted to be an advocate for other people as well,\u201d she said, adding that it\u2019s important for people to go to routine check-ups because early detection can help increase the chances of a good outcome.<\/p>\n

Jennifer said they have a great support system with Kennus\u2019s son and two grandsons, friends and extended family and the couple\u2019s dog, baby Charlie.<\/p>\n

Her niece Raven Hill<\/a>, who is a college film student, created a short documentary film about the couple.<\/p>\n

\u2018The closer you are to your partner, the more you feel it\u2019<\/p>\n

Kennus said the part that most people don\u2019t talk about with life-changing diagnoses is how spouses cope with unexpected news about their loved ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe closer you are to your partner, the more you feel it,\u201d Kennus said. \u201cYou can\u2019t physically feel every single thing that they\u2019re going through, but you experience it on a level because their highs and lows, you\u2019re basically experiencing it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennus said it\u2019s hard to watch those highs and lows, and it can become mentally overwhelming.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer Jennifer Hill-Gowans\u2019 husband Kennus Gowans will be donating a kidney to her. Courtesy of Jennifer Hill-Gowans <\/p>\n

He said the process of becoming a match was difficult, but was worth it for the joy he felt when the doctor told him he would be able to give his kidney to Jennifer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day I get to be with this magnetic, instrumental person who played such a pivotal role in my life,\u201d Kennus said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that she never let having kidney disease break her. Has she cried? Yes. Has she been upset and frustrated? Most definitely. But she never let it break the true essence, of her core essence of who she is, she is still doing the things she\u2019s always loved and done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennus said his advice for spouses, especially husbands who are in a similar situation, is that communication is very important during the good and bad days and their issues need to take a backseat to their wife\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe let our foundation be our faith and our love and our respect for each other, because those are things that can\u2019t be replaced,\u201d Kennus said.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Fousia Abdullahi<\/a><\/p>\n

Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n

Fousia Abdullahi is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram news reporter who covers suburban cities including Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine and Keller. She enjoys reading and attending local events. Send tips by email or phone.\n <\/p>\n