Despite risks to herself, the 44-year-old Winton mother of two made the decision to donate 62.5% of her liver after watching Mrs Waghorn get sicker every day due to a blood disorder.
"When your best friend is dying and you think you can help, then you just don't think about those things [the risks] to be honest," Mrs McIntyre said.
"If my children had ever said to me once `Mum, I don't want you to do this', I wouldn't have."Mrs Waghorn was the 15th person in New Zealand to receive a liver transplant from a live donor.
Mrs Waghorn (45), now of Kapuka, near Invercargill, said all previous live donors and recipients in New Zealand were alive and well.
The first live-donor liver transplant in the country was performed in 2002.
Unlike other organs in the body, the liver will regrow.
Once a piece of the living donor's liver has been removed, it regenerates to its original size in about eight weeks.
Mrs Waghorn was at the top of the transplant list when her friend offered to donate part of her liver.
"It is pretty unreal.
You wouldn't believe someone could do that," she said.
"I was getting sicker by the day.
I wouldn't have survived if Kerry hadn't come forward.
Basically, she saved my life.
It is a big risk for the donors as well."Removing part of the liver is a major surgical operation.
There is a 0.5% risk of death and a 1 in 10 chance of serious complications.
However, Mrs McIntyre said she would do it all again in an instant.
"I was not even a donor on my licence before. You never really think about it until something happens to somebody close to you."
The two friends met through their daughters, who were in the same pipe band.
The bond between them was now closer than ever, they said.
"She's got part of me in her. We have lots of laughs about that," Mrs McIntyre said.
New Zealanders died unnecessarily because of a shortage of livers for transplant and Mrs McIntyre said she wanted to raise awareness about live donation.
Mrs Waghorn said doctors expected it would take about one and a-half years for her to fully recover after the January transplant operation.
Both women paid tribute to the support given by family, friends and employers.
Liver transplants
20 live donor liver transplants performed in NZ since 2002.
Of those, 13 have been adult-to-children, seven adult-to-adult.
Four live donors were not related to the recipient.
Non-related live donors must have an emotional tie to the recipient.
All live donors and recipients are alive and well.
Most transplanted livers are from deceased donors.
339 liver transplants performed in NZ since 1998.
22 people on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
