Doncella Liggins and Beverly Burch have been best friends since they were sorority sisters in college decades ago - and over the course of the last year, they both have been hanging on to secrets that would soon leave each other stunned.

For months, Liggins had refrained from telling her best friend that she had kidney disease. After spending some time on the transplant list, she finally confessed to Burch.

The two women waited with baited breath, hoping for a match to come through until they eventually received a call from Saint Luke's saying that they had found an anonymous donor.

"I said ‘WHAT?' And he said, 'Yeah, there's a match.' And I said, 'Who?'" Liggins told KMBC. "He said, 'Well, I can't tell you. The only thing I can tell you is that they're young and healthy.'"

The sorority sisters were delighted - except Burch knew something that Liggins did not.

Months passed until it was finally the day before the surgery, and Burch presented her friend with a card saying that she was the anonymous donor.

She had been keeping her identity a secret from Liggins for months out of fear that she would "jinx" the surgery.

"At that moment I realized who it was," said Liggins. "And I went, 'Oh my gosh, it's you! It's you!'"

Since the two women both live in the small town of Butler, Missouri, Burch says that she is pleasantly surprised that their community was able to keep her identity a secret. Fortunately, the surgery went off without a hitch and they are both recovering from the operation.

They hope that their story will inspire others to donate their organs as well.

"I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat," said Burch. "But I really need my other kidney."

(WATCH the interview below)

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity And Share The Sweet Story - Photo by Beverly Burch