A New Jersey woman will be getting a second chance at life, thanks to a kidney donation provided by her nephew.

Friday is Tamara Willis’s birthday, but she also has another reason to celebrate.

Willis has been ill and on dialysis. She has not been able to find a donor match until now – her nephew Emilio Robles from Ecuador.

“It’s not easy to just go out and ask for someone to give you a kidney. You’re not asking for a pair of shoes,” Willis says.

Sen. Bob Menendez was helpful in making this procedure happen. He was able to help assist the family in the process of obtaining a visa for Robles to come to the United States.

“I feel good to help my aunt because I told her that if all the tests are positive, I can donate my kidney,” Robles says.

The family says that without Menendez’s help, Robles wouldn’t have been able to come to the United States until 2022.

Willis’s surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday.