A Chiefs fan donated a kidney to a Philadelphia Eagles supporter. Now the 2 former Marines are headed to the Super Bowl collectively.
PHILADELPHIA — Two former Marines bonded by a kidney donation and their love of soccer at the moment are headed to the Super Bowl.
John Gladwell, a Kansas City resident and Chiefs fan, donated a kidney to Philadelphia Eagles backer Billy Welsh two years in the past after Welsh, who lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was identified with polycystic kidney disease.
The two males first met at a army base within the early 2000s and remained in contact by way of social media after they left the service. When Welsh made a submit in 2019 asking if anybody was keen to turn out to be a donor, Gladwell responded and shortly discovered he was a 99% match. He finally flew to Philadelphia, the place the 10-hour surgical process was carried out.
“It meant the world to me. I was speechless. John Gladwell is my hero,” Welsh mentioned Wednesday when the 2 males appeared on NBC’s Today show.
Gladwell mentioned he didn’t hesitate to make the donation as a result of Welsh has a son who is somewhat older than his personal grandson.
“I wasn’t going to let his son grow up without his dad being there for everything,” Gladwell mentioned.
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The all-expenses-paid Super Bowl journey was put collectively by Eagles President Don Smolenski and his Chiefs counterpart Mark Donovan. Smolenski mentioned the story symbolizes the unifying elements of the Marine Corps and the NFL. The workforce presidents spoke with the 2 males throughout a video name final Sunday, letting them know they might be flown to Arizona on Friday, put up in resort rooms and have side-by-side seats for the massive sport.
“The opportunity to bring these two guys together, their two teams playing on the biggest stage in sports, it’s very, very humbling and gratifying,” Smolenski advised The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Welsh mentioned he was “speechless” when he obtained the news. Gladwell, in the meantime, thought he was getting a spam name when a Super Bowl Host Committee consultant contacted him Sunday morning.
“They’re like, ‘You’re going to the Super Bowl,’” Gladwell mentioned, remembering the shock. “I’m like, ‘I am?’”
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