TACOMA , Washington ( CNN ) -- At a time when she really needed a miracle , Annamarie Ausnes found one in an unusual place . Sandra Andersen , right , donated a kidney to Annamarie Ausnes . Last fall , Ausnes , 55 , was one of nearly 75,000 Americans in need of a kidney . Today , she is recovering from a successful kidney transplant -- thanks to her local Starbucks barista . Sandra Andersen only knew Ausnes as her upbeat morning customer who always ordered a short cup of coffee . What Andersen did n't know was that Ausnes suffers from a genetic kidney disease called polycystic kidney disease . When both of her kidneys began failing , she was placed on a kidney transplant waiting list . `` I was kinda losing a little hope , '' said Ausnes . Her next step would be dialysis . `` I 'd read the statistics . People have been waiting on dialysis for many , many years before a donor comes forth . I felt like the control was being taken away from me , '' Ausnes said . `` But I did have control over one thing , and I knew how to pray . And I just started praying for someone ; for God to please send me an angel . '' Andersen recalls one particular morning last October when her customer 's normally cheerful demeanor had changed . `` I could tell that she just was n't feeling real well , '' said Andersen . `` So I asked her what was wrong . '' Across the counter , Ausnes confided in her barista : Her kidneys were failing rapidly and no one in her family was a match . Without hesitation , Andersen said she would test for her . Ausnes remembers the moment vividly . `` She threw her hands up in the air . She said , ' I 'm testing . I 'm going to test for you . ' And it was a complete shock to me . '' Even more so because Andersen did n't even know Ausnes ' name . Andersen ca n't explain it either . `` I just knew in my heart , I ca n't tell you why . I knew I had to find out as much info as possible , '' recalls Andersen . Watch Ausnes recall how she met her `` miracle donor . '' » . After getting her blood tested , she signed a release to become an organ donor and began an interview process to move forward . Then the day came when she was able to break the good news to Ausnes . `` She walked in to get her short cup of coffee . I said , ' I 'm a match , ' and we both just stood there and bawled , '' said Andersen . `` From that day forward we knew this was gon na happen . '' On March 11 , Andersen and Ausnes underwent a kidney transplant at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle , Washington . The surgery was successful . `` We are doing well ! '' Ausnes said Monday night . `` We 're moving slower but we feel good . I talk to Sandie every day , and sometimes I sit here and bawl because of what she 's gone through for me . '' Watch how Andersen 's gift became ' A kidney named Rose . ' » . Andersen says her kidney started working faster in Ausnes than the hospital expected . `` Annamarie is doing better than me ! I 'm just trying to do too much , '' laughs Andersen , explaining why she 's tired . `` We 're just excited to get together for lunch sometime soon ! '' Watch Andersen and Ausnes describe the best kind of donor » E-mail to a friend .
Nearly 75,000 Americans need a kidney transplant . Annamarie Ausnes told her story to a worker at her regular coffee shop . The barista , Sandra Andersen , tested and found out she was a potential donor . Both are doing well after a transplant procedure on March 11 .