text: A man has spent a year losing 70lbs so he could donate his kidney to his wife. PJ Spraggins was delighted when he discovered he was a perfect match for wife Tracy, who was told her life-long battle with Lupus would kill her if she didn't get a transplant. The waiting list is seven years long. But the next day the couple from Birmingham, Alabama, were dealt a blow: his blood pressure was too high to perform the operation. Refusing to accept the diagnosis, PJ embarked on a relentless fitness regime. Finally, in December 2014, they got the green light. In February, they went under the knife together. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Transformation: PJ and Tracy Spraggins (pictured, left, in 2006, and right in 2015) together lost 145lbs in one year so he could donate his kidney to her. On the transplant list, she would have had to wait seven years . Made it! After a year of grueling dieting and exercise, PJ was given the green light to undergo surgery . 'We both just feel amazing. I'm slowly getting back to work making music, Tracy is making sure she fully recovers. But the entire process has been amazing.' Now 39, Tracy was six when she was first diagnosed with the chronic inflammatory disease which affects her kidney functions. She was placed on the transplant list in 2013 - just a few months after her 34-year-old sister, who also had Lupus, died following complications from a kidney transplant. Knowing that the seven-year wait might be too long, PJ, a self-employed musician, submitted himself for the weeks-long evaluation to assess whether he could donate his kidney. Journey: For a year, he kept losing weight and going in for tests, only to be told he needed to lose more . Finally, he visited Nashville's Vanderbilt hospital in December 2014, and the numbers all matched up . However, the good news was tinged with disappointment as doctors said his size meant the operation couldn't go ahead. 'They said I was a perfect match but they wanted to check I was healthy and met their requirements. They sent me a blood pressure monitor, but they didn't like the numbers. 'That was a real kick in the gut.' The doctors advised PJ, who weighed 265lbs, to lose 30lbs before returning for an evaluation. He did - but on the day of the test he changed a flat tire. 'My blood pressure was all over the place. The results came back and they said no again.' It didn't stop there. Next try was a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was told to another 60lbs. Eventually, they made it to Nashville's Vanderbilt Hospital in December 2014. PJ made sure he did everything he could to ensure the readings were perfect. 'I put that blood pressure monitor on and lay in bed all day. And thankfully, it all came back good!' Undergoing the four-hour surgery together on February 24, the couple took a beaming photograph in matching hospital gowns. Life saver: Special needs teacher Tracy, 39, has suffered from Lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease, since she was six. In 2013, doctors in Birmingham, Alabama, said she would need a kidney transplant to survive . Happy: Spraggins (pictured in hospital) described the feeling of dejection at every hurdle until they made it . Perfect match: The chances of being a perfect match for one's spouse is rare . The couple, who married in 2003, are now back home and recovering in Birmingham . GIft! This was the festive Easter gift given to Tracy and PJ by Vanderbilt hospital . 'The way my kidney function is now, it's at 100 percent. And it's at the best it's ever been,' Tracy, a special needs teacher, told Fox. PJ told DailyMail.com: 'It has just been amazing. To know that I did everything I could to give my wife a better quality of life is just the best feeling. I am so happy.' The couple's friends have now set up a fund to financially support them during the two-month recovery period when they will be unable to work. It reads: 'While the actual cost of the kidney transplant itself would be covered, they would need at least two months of financial assistance to cover regular household expenses as neither of them will be able to work during their recovery. Your donations would be emensely appreciated.'
target: PJ Spraggins was perfect match for wife Tracy, who suffers from Lupus .
  But he was told he was not eligible as his blood pressure was too high .
  She was placed on the seven-year-long transplant list at end of 2013 .
  Spraggins embarked on year-long fitness regime until he made the grade .
  They both underwent surgery in February 2015 .