A sign at a Chicago Bears game in 2019 probably saved a Louisville-area man's life
Marcus Edwards was handed a blank sign before he took his seat at a Chicago Bears game in 2019 and knew immediately what to write – "I NEED A KIDNEY."
A fan took a photo of Edwards, and it went viral on social media after the game. Now, years later, he's living with a new kidney and advocating for others in need on his journey back to health.
His recovery didn't happen overnight. While he went viral nearly three years ago, Edwards, from Jeffersonville, Indiana, received a call last September that he'd matched with a donor. In October Edwards was in Cincinnati getting ready for his transplant.
"I went into my surgery with a feeling of calm and relief," Edwards said.
Edwards, whose need for a kidney arose due to complications from diabetes, said his surgeon called to talk to him for about 20 minutes before the surgery. The pair chatted about their families and interests, he said, which helped ease him into the operation.
"Knowing him before the surgery just made it smooth ... and I had just had the feeling of closeness to him and not that it was a stranger," Edwards said.
After two years of dialysis treatments, Edwards, who lives in Jeffersonville, Indiana, said the transplant has allowed him to start navigating the path to physical and mental recovery. June 13 was his first day back to work as a union representative at the Ford Louisville Assembly Plant.
"I've got to strengthen my mind and body so that I can continue to be here – so I can make all these memorable moments," he said.
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Edwards has been focused on spending time with his family as he recovers. He said now he can throw the ball around, coach his son in swimming and see both his daughters graduate.
Dialysis made it difficult for the family to go on vacations, Edwards said. His wife, Shantel, got them tickets to another Chicago Cubs game for a quick getaway in 2021. Edwards said he got the call about his match to donor, Jennifer Michel, while getting ready to go see the game.
"She's my angel. God put her in this world for a reason, and she was brought to me," he said.
Edwards said he and Michel didn't communicate until they met by chance at the hospital. Strict COVID-19 protocols were in place, but Edwards said nurses helped arrange a quick meeting between the two.
"It was like a kid at Christmastime," Edwards said. "... It's almost out of body, and I cried. She cried. My wife cried. And it was a beautiful moment."
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Edwards is regaining his physical strength and mental health now, but he said there were moments where he found himself losing hope.
During his treatments, Edwards said the only person who knew about his internal struggle was his wife.
"She showed her strength, which helped me to keep mind," he said.
The mental health challenges he faced helped him learn how to be more present, he said, especially with his family in mind.
"There's things that they were missing when dad was sick, when I was in bed all day. I got to make sure I give them those things and be there for him," Edwards said. "My goal is to be here. As long as my kids is here, I want to be here."
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Edwards said women played an especially important role during his journey from going viral to receiving the transplant.
His wife cheered him on and helped him while on dialysis, along with his sister and daughters. And his story made headlines thanks to Jessica Jenkins, the Valparaiso, Indiana resident who took the photo that went viral.
As for Edwards' living donor?
"She's a part of the family," he said. "She's my sister. We actually share an organ now."
How to help
Now that Edwards is close to a complete recovery, he wants to advocate for others who need a new kidney.
He said he speaks up about his experience to strangers whenever he has a chance and reaches out to people around him with the condition to let them know there is hope for treatment.
"I really want to be a part of helping someone if I could help one person I think I've done what God asked me to do," he said.
There are nearly 90,000 people on the national waiting list for kidneys as of June 13, 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There are only about 7,000 donors listed.
Signs of kidney failure include changes in urination, fatigue, itching, back pain, or swelling of your hands or feet, according to Aleciah Heckman, a registered nurse with Fresenius Kidney Care.
"Kidney failure isn't the end of the world. Dialysis is not the end of the world. You got to fight. If you want that chance, you got to fight," Edwards said.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of kidney failure, check out the University of Kentucky Transplant Center's Living Donor Program. You can also find more information about becoming a donor on the National Kidney Registry's website.
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Chicago Bears fan who went viral for sign in 2019 gets new kidney
