Man with Incredible Beard in Desperate Need of Kidney
Dear world,
My husband Chris, man of inspiringly lush beard and razor sharp wit, needs a kidney.
Yikes.
Before we go any further, please know that this message is meant to inform, not to pressure anyone into donating. *
Chris — a hilarious curmudgeon who equally loves heavy metal and the Muppets — suffered full renal failure back in 2005. At that time, after a number of dreadful months living on dialysis, he was lucky enough to find a living kidney donor in his mother.
Now, we find ourselves in need again.
In November, 2018, during a routine transplant follow-up appointment, the doctors noticed that the numbers they use to track Chris’ kidney function were changing. It lead them to do an ultrasound in which they discovered a cancerous mass in his donated kidney.
Less than a month later, Chris was scheduled for surgery to remove the cancer. It was a nerve-wracking experience because we knew the risks. The anatomy of a transplanted kidney is so much different than that of a native one. The doctor couldn’t tell us how long the operation would last, or if he’d even be able to save the kidney at all. We lived in a fog, not knowing what would come next. We’d always been a team and to feel like I couldn’t pull my weight to help him, other than to be there, was excruciating.
When Chris woke up from surgery, his pain was a 10 out of 10. There are no words to express what it felt like watch him suffer. And yet, the first thing he mumbled to me when I came into the room was, “Were you alone? I was worried you were waiting alone.” Only after he knew I was okay did he ask if he still had a kidney.
Even though the surgery appeared to be a success, complications ensued almost immediately. We moved like zombies through three weeks of unexpected, extremely painful procedures and one horrifying incident at home that landed him back in the ICU for another week.
Between the cancer and complications, Chris’ kidney took quite a beating and is on its last legs.
And so, dear friends and strangers (whoever might kindly read this), we need a kidney.
It’s an incredibly wild thing to ask for. It feels so enormous that it’s almost surreal to see my fingers type out the words.
We realize that one might want to know more about the person they are considering donating their extra kidney to (did you know you only need one?), so here it goes:
Chris Mosconi is 44 years old. He’s a quiet guy, until he has been cut off in traffic and then….well we won’t get into that, as we are trying to appeal to your generous side. Chris is abnormally hilarious. His comedic timing rivals the greats. He is known for his luxurious beard and his fiery passion for Philadelphia sports. There is no doubt in my mind that the Eagles winning the Superbowl was a bigger deal than our wedding. And, honestly, I’m okay with it.
He’s incredibly intelligent, remembering detailed facts about historical events I’ve never even heard of. He’s thoughtful and patient (except in traffic or when the remote stops working). He works really hard. In fact, years ago when he worked as a bike messenger in Boston, he was “doored” by a cab driver, broke both his wrists and had the doctor put his casts on in the position he holds the handlebars so he could go back to work the next day. Today he works for a tech startup and does things I don’t understand. He is immediately loved by every single person who meets him because of his kindness, intelligence and sense of humor.
Chris isn’t really the schmoopy type. He hates talking about his feelings and probably hates the way I just described him. But he’s not a talker. He’s a doer. Chris won’t say he’s touched by something you do, he’ll just be sure to show up at an event that’s important to you down the line. Chris won’t reach out and bear hug you, but he’ll sit beside you for however many hours you need him. Chris won’t tell me I’m an amazing singer (even if I beg him), he’ll just research recording equipment for an entire Sunday until he’s certain he’s found the perfect tool for me. He quietly proves his love and support in a million little ways and I would be utterly lost without him.
It’s difficult and emotional to sum up your partner when making a plea for their life (again, no pressure). All I can say is that Chris is the best human being I have ever known. In the nearly nine years we’ve been together, we’ve rarely spent any time apart. We don’t want to. We lucked into a love and friendship I could have never imagined would be in the cards for me.
And so, on that note, here’s how you can help:
Ideally, we are looking for someone who is in great health and no older than 50 (a couple years older is fine). Don’t worry about blood type for now, there are a lot of factors that go into finding a match.
If you are interested in getting an evaluation to be a kidney donor for Chris, you can call me at (215) 326–9822 and I will give you more information. You are also welcome to DM me if you are a millennial and hate phone calls.
If you’d like to proceed anonymously, here is a link to our living donor website:
https://hospitals.jefferson.edu/…/kidney…/living-donor.html…
There is video for potential donors to watch plus some written information on donation.
*In order to start the process, an interested donor just has to click on the blue link that says “Living Donor Medical Assessment and Referral Form.”
Once the form is complete, it can be emailed to livingdonor@jefferson.edu or faxed to 215–503–4290.*
One of our donor coordinators will reach out to your potential donor once they receive that form.
By law, our coordinator is not allowed to share any donor information with us during this process. We will only know if a match has surfaced and the party is interested in donating. Otherwise, we will never know what happens. So rest assured that when we say “no pressure,” we mean it.
If donating your kidney is not something you can do, please consider sharing this post to help expand our reach. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read this.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
Abby & Chris Mosconi
