The "A New Lease On Life!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an online account of how Kelly Sowatsky has overcome tremendous physical odds that had threatened to take her life this past year.  Her story also was broadcast on ESPN's "E:60" cable TV network show recently.  Seems like her problems all began on December 24, 2015 when she was helping her mother prepare Christmas Eve dinner for her family.  All of a sudden her hands began to shake and the color drained from her face as her body temperature reached 104 degrees.  A urinary tract infection was the cause and then the infection turned septic which in turn went to her lungs causing her to be placed on a ventilator for almost two weeks.  

Kelly and the love of her life, Tyler Hart.

The strong medicine she was administered helped with the infection, but did damage to her kidneys.  The fact that Kelly was a Type 1 diabetic since the age of 8 did not help.  After two-and-a-half months she was released, but would need routine kidney checkups for the rest of her life.  She went back to college at Millersville University in nearby Millersville, PA to earn her teaching degree.  During a school break she met and fell in love with Tyler Hart who shared her passion for music.  Seems that Tyler, a teacher himself, also had a passion for professional ice hockey and the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Kelly quickly learned the fine points of the sport and gained a love of ice hockey, just as her boyfriend.  On June 11, 2017, the Penguins won ice hockey's top award, The Stanley Cup, and the two celebrated the victory in their duplex apartment.  Shortly thereafter, during one of her kidney checkups, the celebrating stopped.  

Kelly and her plea for a new kidney!

She was told she had end-stage renal failure and would need dialysis.  She was given about 10 years to live unless she could have a kidney transplant.  No one in her family was a match so she was placed on a kidney transplant waiting list behind close to 100,000 others who needed a kidney.  But, she had an idea!  She and Tyler were scheduled to go to a home Penguins hockey game on March 31, 2018, so she decided to make a sign that she displayed during the pregame skate.  

A "Tweet" showing the sign was posted online.

On one side read: Calling All hockey Fans ... I Need A Kidney! Kidney! Kidney!  Gratefully Yours, Kelly and listed her phone number.  Most people were more interested in the players, but Andi Perelman, the team's social media director, saw the sign and sent photographer Emilee Falls to talk to her.  After making sure the plea for a kidney was real, the photo was sent out on a Twitter post.  The post showed Kelly with her sign and the words "Penguins fan: seeking hero."  While in the arena Kelly's phone began to ring.  Then a story on NHL.com appeared which brought more responses.  The onslaught of calls and messages lasted weeks, but most calls only offered best wishes.  My son, Tad, saw the sign and placed a call to Kelly telling her about a friend, Donya, whose daughter had need of a transplant and worked with UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center).  I have written a few stories about Donya's daughter Kennedy and her struggles with an extremely rare disease.  Donya's battle to find a cure for her daughter led her to a doctor who practices in nearby Strasburg, Pennsylvania.  He suggested Kennedy get a liver transplant which eventually put her on the way to recovery.  In the meantime Donya has become a spokesperson for UPMC where transplants are common procedure.  Tad also called Donya telling her about the sign he had seen and maybe she could help Kelly.  Soon Kelly and Donya connected and Donya reached out to Kelly with suggestions and a Facebook note that read: Ok Friends, need your amazing help...I have a friend named Kelly who needs a kidney. Her blood type is A+. To be a kidney donor it is laparoscopic surgery, discharge from the hospital is in 2-3 days. Minimal surgery to save an amazing woman's life! She is 30 years old, a special education teacher and engaged to be married to a wonderful guy. Cmon, Friends...be her Superhero!!!  Shortly a fellow Penguins fan from Dover, Delaware, Jeff Lynd called.  

Jeff Land visits Kelly after giving her one of his kidneys.

He also saw the sign and saw she needed someone with blood Type A Positive.  He said he sat reading about kidney donation online and decided to call.  Kelly told Jeff she hadn't found a match, but didn't get her hopes up too high after the call.  Kelly wanted to work with UPMC in Pittsburgh, but her insurance wouldn't allow it.  After some time her resources looked bleak, she decided to contact UPMC and not worry about her insurance.  After all it was a life or death situation.  She headed to Pittsburgh for testing and called Jeff Lynd, who hadn't heard from Kelly in months.  She asked if he could come to Pittsburgh for testing.  Long story short, on November 6, Kelly, the woman with the sign asking for a kidney, and Jeff, the willing donor of a kidney, went through a procedure that took 13 hours, but was successful.  

Kelly and Jeff at a Penguin's game.

Kelly spent her recovery time in hospital room 87, the same number worn by Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, thus the name Kelly gave to her new kidney...Sidney the Kidney.  About two months later Kelly, Jeff and Sydney the Kidney met again in the Penguin's locker room where they met Andi Perelman, the team's social director who got this entire ordeal started, and Kelly's favorite player Jake  Guentzel whose name happened to be on the opposite side of Kelly sign that fateful evening when she first held up the now-famous sign.  The rear side of the sign asked Guentzel for an autographed hockey stick.  So, Kelly now has her new kidney, a new signed hockey stick, a new hero in Jeff Lynd, an upcoming marriage to Tyler and a new lease on life.  Some stories really do have happy endings.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Nicole Lynd, Jeff Lynd, Jake Guentzel, Kelly and Tyler pose for a photo in the Penguin's locker room.