by John Sorce
Special to The Leaven
LEAWOOD — St. Michael the Archangel parishioner John Sweeney never thought he would be an organ donor.
But God planted a seed and, despite some roadblocks, Sweeney remained dedicated to the calling.
The initial seed was planted after listening to a story while volunteering on a food rescue mission with Catholic Charities about three years ago.
“I listened to the guy’s story and felt sorry for him,” Sweeney said. “But I wasn’t sure what to do in a situation like that in the moment. So, I just listened and didn’t think anything more about it.”
But things changed a few weeks later when a childhood friend by the name of Mark McIntosh posted on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with amyloidosis — a rare bone-marrow disorder that damages your organs.
“His post said he was going on dialysis, but the doctors told him that he would eventually need a kidney transplant,” Sweeney said. “So, I reached out and he invited me to listen in on a few Zoom meetings with an organization that he is part of.
“I sat and listened, learning what I could and was just soaking it all in.”
It was not lost on Sweeney that he read his friend’s online post just a few weeks after being touched by someone else’s story while volunteering.
He felt it was God trying to grab his attention.
“I thought that was probably not a coincidence,” Sweeney said. “I looked upward and told God I heard him, and that moved me in the direction to become a donor.”
The process to become an organ donor was an extensive one. First, Sweeney had to be tested to see if he was eligible. This included blood work, imaging and speaking with about a dozen health professionals.
The initial tests done by KU Medical Center concluded that Sweeney’s blood pressure would be too high for him to be an organ donor. But after starting medication and flying to Denver, where McIntosh was located, to retake the tests at AdventHealth Porter, he was eventually accepted.
But along the way, McIntosh received a kidney from somebody else after a match through the National Kidney Registry. Still, Sweeney decided to continue with the process, and it is at this point where it became a spiritual journey for him.
“When my friend received a kidney, I thought my journey was over,” Sweeney said. “But I started praying about what I should do, and I could feel the Holy Spirit guiding me to continue with the process. I didn’t have anybody else particularly in mind. But if I was ultimately approved, I would go ahead and do it anonymously.
“At this point in the process, I was convinced I was now part of the community of people who donate or need to receive a kidney. It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that I was going to see this through until its natural conclusion.”
Sweeney’s kidney ultimately wound up going to someone in Minneapolis. It was delivered and received by the recipient on the same day of his operation.
“I had the surgery at 6 a.m. in Denver,” Sweeney said. “It was flown to Minneapolis and received by the recipient that same day.”
While Sweeney is not sure who ultimately received his kidney, he is glad he went through with the process and is grateful he could help extend somebody’s life.
“So many people are in awe that I would do something like that,” Sweeney said. “But I don’t feel that way about it. I’m healthy, I’ve been approved to be an organ donor, and I was able to help extend or save somebody’s life. So, to me, it’s why wouldn’t I do that?”
