×

Advertising Adversity

Bond Formed Between Area Men After Successful Kidney Transplant

Above, Paul Liuzzo, left, and Patrick Hoover are pictured at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where Liuzzo donated a kidney to his friend on April 25. Hoover placed decals on his truck letting other drivers know his need for a new kidney. Submitted photo

With one generous act, two area men have recently gone from longtime acquaintances to brothers — and have the scars to prove it.

That’s because Patrick Hoover of Frewsburg was the recipient of a kidney donation from Jamestown resident Paul Liuzzo, who took it upon himself to do what he could to help his friend continue living a full life.

Last fall, Hoover made his situation known during an interview with The Post-Journal and by adorning the back end of his Ford F-150 with decals indicating his need for a kidney and asking for community support.

Bearing messages such as “I need a kidney” and “Serious responses,” Hoover hoped to catch the attention of area residents with either Type B or Type O blood who would be willing to test for a match.

He also sought help from the WNY Kidney Connection, which posted his story on its website and also assisted in finding a matching donor. Luckily for Hoover, Liuzzo spotted Hoover’s plight and, being Type O-Negative, decided to undergo the testing to make sure he could fulfill that role.

Both men pose after the success surgery in April. Submitted photo

Liuzzo said the decision to donate a kidney is one he’d been mulling for some time, but seeing his friend in need prompted him to action.

“I’ve known a couple of people who have died as a result of kidney complications, and so this is something that had been in the back of my mind,” Liuzzo said. “Pat and I have known each other since I was just a little kid, and we didn’t always necessarily see each other that often but we’d sometimes run into each other and say ‘hi.’ So when I saw something posted on the Internet about how he needed a kidney, I figured now was the time to really look into it.”

After a couple months of tests, it was determined that Liuzzo was a match with Hoover and the pair were scheduled for the ensuing operation within a matter of weeks. The surgery itself took place on April 25 at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, and went smoothly for both patients.

Liuzzo said he experienced discomfort for about a month after the surgery, but about six weeks later he was able to return to his old lifestyle. Hoover returned to his work at Phoenix Metal last week in a part-time capacity, just over two months after his life-saving surgery.

Hoover said he wanted to share the story of his kidney transplant in hopes that others will consider becoming donors.

“I actually had nine people come forward from all the advertising I did, and even though some of them didn’t qualify the important thing is that they were willing to try for me,” Hoover said. “So we want to encourage people to sign up and become an organ donor. Because of my medical problems that I had in the past, my daughter, who passed a year ago in March, wanted to donate her organs. She donated her heart, kidneys and liver; and because of that she saved three lives. And (Paul) saved my life.”

“It’s a great feeling to know that you can make a difference and help somebody; plus, I get visitation with my kidney,” Liuzzo said. “A lot of people might be hesitant because they’re not sure what to expect from donating a kidney, and I can say firsthand that the recovery isn’t as rigorous as I thought it would be. So I feel that anybody who is at all considering it should look into it and research it and get some answers.”

Hoover’s transplant is now considered among the WNY Kidney Connection’s several success stories. The WNY Kidney Connection was founded by Jamestown resident Jeanette Ostrom in 2006 after she successfully found a live kidney donor for her son on Matchingdonors.com, which is a national website. This experience inspired Ostrom to start a regional version of the website to help other individuals in her community.

Since then, the WNY Kidney Connection has successfully navigated more than a dozen individuals through the process of finding and receiving a new kidney courtesy of a living donor volunteer. The WNY Kidney Connection is a completely free service that allows area residents to share their story, and link up with live donors. For more information, visit wnykidneyconnection.org.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today