For so many, the New Year brings the rosy prospect of change and improvement. For Trey Powell, 2021 has already delivered both.
Powell, 49, is starting the year with a new kidney, thanks to a 15-year family friend who volunteered to be a donor. Powell and his wife, Leslie, a seventh grade teacher at Dean Rusk Middle in Canton, found a match in Jeannie Cordaro, a colleague who teaches special education at Sixes Elementary. The two families also have kids the same age.
“I coached baseball for years, and her son was on several of my teams,” said Powell. “Our girls did Scouts and played basketball together.”
In October 2019, after a year of fighting kidney failure, Powell posted his need for a living transplant on Facebook, and Cordaro answered an initial questionnaire.
“I knew a lot of people were filling it out, too, so I viewed it as a long shot,” said Cordaro. “And I’m not related. But I’ve been blessed to have been fairly healthy my entire life, and I thought if I had the ability to help somebody, why not? My nature is to help people as much as possible.”
After a year of extensive tests, Cordaro turned out to be a perfect match. The surgery took place just before Thanksgiving.
“The doctors said even before he left the surgery, the kidney started working,” said Leslie Powell. “It’s life changing. It’s not like asking for a cup of sugar; her body had to adjust, too, and she took time off from work. For someone to be willing to give a gift of themselves is miraculous.”
For Powell, the transplant ended almost three years that included not working, having dialysis three times a week, undergoing 24 surgeries and losing his right leg. Though he won’t be able to return to his old job of selling and installing commercial ice machines, Powell, now in a wheelchair, looks forward to getting his life back on track.
“There’s no possible way to thank her, but I tell her every time I see her,” said Powell. “I tell her whole family. She’s showing her kids something very special: the love she has for other people.”
Each Sunday, we write about a deserving individual, charity events such as fun runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event or person for us to cover, contact us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
