Stories of Inspiration
February 2021
Keli Thorn & Cheyenne Frappier
In December of 2019 I came across a Pittsburgh news article about a man in Cincinnati, Ohio that was walking down the highway with a sign that read, ‘NEED KIDNEY 4 MY WIFE’. Immediately I was drawn to their story and something in me just knew I could be her perfect match!
Just out of curiosity, I looked into their website and Facebook page, learned more about her and her family. Days later it kept tugging at my heart. She was a mother of 4 and I knew how scared her family probably was that she wasn’t going to find a donor and they could lose her. Me losing my mom myself, knew how hard it is on a family, how heart breaking and life changing it is… your family is scared for you, and you’re scared for yourself and your family.
Although not possible, I often thought what it would have meant to my family if a stranger would have come out of nowhere to help heal my mom from her cancer. So, I decided I wanted to do just that for someone else’s family. I wanted to help them keep their family together; keep their wife, their sister, their daughter, their mom around. I gave their coordinator a call and after 4 months of testing, I got the call that I was her perfect match!
On February 2, 2021, we had a very successful surgery as I gave my kidney to Keli Thorn in Cincinnati, Ohio! It wouldn’t have been possible without Jackie and Team Fishguy! I had to travel from Beaver County, PA to Cincinnati and stay there for 18 days straight, paid for out of pocket. I could have never come up with all the money and arrangements myself. Team Fishguy took that huge weight off my shoulders, found my hotel, made all the arrangements, & paid for the stay. Keli and I are forever grateful and could never say thank you enough!
Just out of curiosity, I looked into their website and Facebook page, learned more about her and her family. Days later it kept tugging at my heart. She was a mother of 4 and I knew how scared her family probably was that she wasn’t going to find a donor and they could lose her. Me losing my mom myself, knew how hard it is on a family, how heart breaking and life changing it is… your family is scared for you, and you’re scared for yourself and your family.
Although not possible, I often thought what it would have meant to my family if a stranger would have come out of nowhere to help heal my mom from her cancer. So, I decided I wanted to do just that for someone else’s family. I wanted to help them keep their family together; keep their wife, their sister, their daughter, their mom around. I gave their coordinator a call and after 4 months of testing, I got the call that I was her perfect match!
On February 2, 2021, we had a very successful surgery as I gave my kidney to Keli Thorn in Cincinnati, Ohio! It wouldn’t have been possible without Jackie and Team Fishguy! I had to travel from Beaver County, PA to Cincinnati and stay there for 18 days straight, paid for out of pocket. I could have never come up with all the money and arrangements myself. Team Fishguy took that huge weight off my shoulders, found my hotel, made all the arrangements, & paid for the stay. Keli and I are forever grateful and could never say thank you enough!