Wednesday, March 15, 2023

On the Beat With Ed Hearn

In late August 1986, as a rookie catcher, Ed Hearn was called upon to fill in for an injured Gary Carter. Over 11 games, Ed batted .275 and played errorless ball as the Mets went 8-3. Ed was a big help as the Mets went on to win the World Series. Now, Ed needs some help.

Shortly after retiring in 1991, Ed was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulusclerosis, requiring dialysis and a kidney transplant. Ed received a kidney in 1992. It would be the first of three kidney transplants Ed would have. Now, Ed needs a new kidney.

I originally became a fan of Ed's in my youth, when I was a bespectacled catcher. I was happy to see Ed reach the MLB with the Mets after several years in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Then I was ecstatic when Ed played so well while Carter was injured.

There's more to Ed's baseball career than just those 11 games though, but those stories will wait for another time. Today, is more about Ed's current plight.

I interviewed Ed this morning. He did indulge me in a little baseball talk, but soon we segued into the serious topic of his present situation. Ed is in end stage kidney failure and desperately needs to find a kidney donor. The interview is at On the Beat With Ed Hearn on YouTube.

The good news is the kidney transplant world has changed greatly over the years. There are direct and non-directed kidney donations. Perhaps more important even is the paired kidney exchange. These options are better explained by the Kidney Registry, but all could literally be life-savers. Ed also discusses this in our interview.

Like other medical procedures, the actual operation is also much less invasive than it once was. Additionally, for a living donor, the remaining kidney functions as two with no real effects for the donor.

Ed has overcome a lot in his life and he always rebounds positively. He uses his experiences in his role as a motivational speaker. For a person to go through all of this and remain positive speaks a lot of his attitude and faith. Ed has a lot more to contribute to society, but he needs a little help now.

As for more baseball stories, Ed promised another interview in the future after a transplant. I'm holding Ed to that, because I know he has great stories and I believe he will come through this latest battle like the champ he is.

For more info, go to Kidney4Ed.net. I'll also update Ed's story here and on TheEveryDayFan.com.

On my writer's side note, Ed was not having a particularly good morning today, but he insisted on fulfilling his promise of the interview, because that is who he is. 

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