Washington woman donates kidney to Eighty Four man
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Bruce Bandel visits Wednesday with Alysha McConnell at his home in Washington.
Courtesy of Bruce Bandel
Bruce Bandel leaves the hospital Tuesday.
Bruce Bandel is celebrating Thanksgiving with an extra serving of gratitude, days after a 25-year-old Eighty Four woman gave him a life-saving donation.
On Nov. 16, Alysha McConnell donated her right kidney to Bandel, a longtime family friend.
“My heart is filled with gratitude and thankfulness,” said Bandel, 68, an ordained minister who owns Bandel Airport in Eighty Four. “I’m a new man. I got a new life.”
Bandel, of Washington, was diagnosed around Christmas two years ago with a prostate condition that damaged his kidneys.
He was at a Christmas party when he received a phone call from his primary care physician urging him to go to the emergency room at Washington Hospital after blood work and other test results showed life-threatening damage.
For the past nine months, Bandel has undergone nine hours of dialysis nightly, and he was placed on the kidney transplant list.
Bandel’s and McConnell’s families have known each other for six generations – they owned adjoining farms, Bandel said – and Bandel and McConnell’s father, Sean Scott Sr., are friends who enjoy restoring old cars and attending car races.
In January, McConnell’s mother, Tracey Scott, mentioned to her that Bandel’s health was failing, and McConnell said immediately that she’d like to donate a kidney.
McConnell, whose brother, Sean Scott Jr., 24, was diagnosed with leukemia at age 3, is an advocate for donors.
“My brother needed blood transfusions, and people willingly donated. I’m so glad donors stepped up, not knowing my brother,” said Scott. “The opportunity to be a donor is very rewarding and gives someone a chance at a better quality of life, or can save a life.”
McConnell underwent a series of tests to determine if she was a match for Bandel and if she was healthy enough to donate.
She was.
The two checked into Allegheny General Hospital on Nov. 15 and, after five hours of surgery, Scott’s kidney was removed and placed into Bandel.
Doctors expect both to fully recover.
McConnell, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Amelia Rae, said the support of her husband, Christopher, her family and the hospital staff throughout the journey was encouraging.
“It was definitely a big sacrifice on my family’s part, too. My family stepped up. And everyone’s been so kind, the nurses were great. I was honored and blessed to be a part of it,” said McConnell.
Donating an organ also was a bittersweet experience for McConnell. She suffered her third miscarriage in the spring, and her due date was in November, close to the date she underwent surgery to donate the kidney.
“In February, my husband and I never expected to be in the hospital in November for a kidney transplant. But I feel when you go through something traumatic, you can choose to allow yourself to get bitter or you choose to get better,” said McConnell. “Donating the kidney to Bruce was a silver lining for me. It’s very rewarding knowing that my body can give life and give Bruce a healthy life”
Bandel said McConnell is “a remarkable woman.”
During the months leading up to the transplant, Scott sent Bandel encouraging texts and notes.
She even baked a chocolate cake for a family dinner – the cake was decorated with a green kidney and a sentiment, “Urine for a real treat.”
Said Bandel, “She thinks it’s an honor, but trust me, it’s my honor. It’s an incredibly humbling experience. I’m overwhelmed by the goodness and mercy and grace of God.”
For Bandel, the kidney transplant offers him the chance to live a long, healthy life.
“I can’t wait to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas, and to start a new year,” said Bandel. “I’m so thankful for Alysha. I have felt the love every minute of every day, and love conquers all fear.”