UNION COUNTY, Pa. — Three years ago, on World Kidney Day, former Newswatch 16 reporter Allen Vickers found out he was in kidney failure.
Fast-forward to today and Allen is on a Zoom call with his donor and friend, Kody Leibowitz, discussing their recent kidney surgery.
"Every single thought was going through my head. 'Is surgery going to go well?' 'Is the kidney going to be viable?' 'Did someone steal the kidney?' Every thought was going through my head," Allen said.
Kody and Allen have been friends for ten years. They met at a TV station in Maryland, where they both worked. Kody applied to be Allen's kidney donor in late 2022 and found out a few months later he was a match. His surgery was in Sacramento, California on February 13.
"My energy is back," Kody said. "There's less pain every single day."
After surgery, Kody's kidney was flown to LaGuardia Airport in New York and driven to Philadelphia. Allen's surgery was on February 14.
"The surgery was successful," Allen said. "In fact, the kidney, Kody's kidney, started working immediately, which was great news because sometimes, if the kidney needs a jump start, I would have to continue to do dialysis."
Allen says Kody's selfless donation saved his life.
"For him to stand by and make sure everything went well, it means everything. He means everything. He's more of a brother at this point."
But Kody says it was an easy decision.
"I truly cherish that friendship, and I know that his family and his other friends that he has really do as well, and I was fortunate enough to be in a position that I'm at, healthy enough to be able to donate."
On this World Kidney Day, Kody encourages potential donors to think about their reasons why.
"If you're able to donate, if you're healthy enough to donate, please do. If you can't, that's OK, too. You can still have an impact on someone's life by being there for them, by advocating for them, and by helping them throughout this process."
Allen has made it his mission to educate people about kidney disease. He is doing this through his podcast, Vital Connections.
"It is scary," Allen said. "It is something that you can't see, and it impacts you greatly. It impacts you, your family, your friends, your diet, your ability to do certain things."
Allen is still recovering and has a long road ahead. He sees his doctor twice a week to make sure the kidney is functioning properly.
As soon as he's cleared to travel, Allen plans to visit Kody in California.
Watch the full interview with Allen and Kody on WNEP's YouTube channel.