An Illinois couple’s unique love story is making headlines across the country, after the two met over a liver transplant, fell for each other post-surgery, and are now planning a wedding after regaining their health together, ABC News reports.

The story begins in March 2014 when Heather Kreuger, a native of Frankfort, Illinois, was diagnosed with stage 4 liver disease. Soon after, Kreuger’s doctor told her unless she found a last-minute living donor, she had less than a 50 percent chance of living more than two months.

That’s when Chris Dempsey, a former Marine, overheard Kreuger’s cousin talking about Heather’s health issues at work. Soon after, he underwent several tests to see if he would be a match, and then called Kreuger to tell her he would donate a part of his liver to save her life.

In March 2015, doctors removed 55 percent of Dempsey’s liver to replace Kreuger’s damaged one, in separate procedures that took over eight hours each. Over the course of two months in recovery together, the pair of perfect strangers realized they were beginning to fall in love.

The couple began dating, and last December, Dempsey proposed to Kreuger during a romantic carriage ride in Chicago. The couple plans to marry this October in the company of the doctors, medical staff and family that brought them together.