Elkhorn man receives new kidney, fresh outlook
By Cathy Kozlowicz
Correspondent
Lenny Zwieg’s 25-year high school reunion last year was one of many avenues he used to advocate for a kidney donor, which he desperately needed. With his kidney functioning decreasing, putting him at end-stage renal disease, Zwieg worked tirelessly to get a new-to-him kidney that is functioning well after his transplant operation Nov. 2.
“It (the reunion) brought a lot of people together for a good cause and a positive message,” the 1992 Elkhorn Area High School graduate said. “The timing (of the reunion) was right.”
Zwieg said he had the support of his high school classmates, some he has not seen in years, as he launched a viral kidney donation campaign.
He did this, when in his words he “felt crappy,” being on dialysis three times a week since Sept. 1, 2016. He said he felt nauseated, tired, and nothing tasted good. There was also a fatigue as dialysis took a toll on his body, leading him to wonder how he could keep up the efforts to find a donor.
“We took an aggressive approach,” Zwieg said. “You have to put yourself out there. We pushed hard, and it paid dividends.”
Zwieg said with his wife and three children – ages 19, 16 and 7 – by his side as well as support from social media followers, former classmates, employees and others in the community, they all worked together to make it happen.
With an active Facebook page, he designed a t-shirt with the words, Share Your Spare that featured a drawing of a kidney on the front. On the back, it said, “Father of 3 Needs a Kidney” with a phone number to call along with Zwieg’s blood type.
T-shirts were distributed, and Zwieg’s plea spread including in part after someone took a photograph of him wearing the shirt at a Milwaukee Brewers game this season and then shared it on social media.
Read more about Lenny’s journey – including the reason begind the woman’s decision that made his transplant possible – in the Nov. 29 Elkhorn Independent.
