Former WVW football standout makes case for organ donation as he awaits transplant

WILKES-BARRE — His name is Kevin Bond.

Three days after his 27th birthday, his liver shut down due to an extremely rare genetic disease.

Doctors told him that there have only been 100 reported cases in the world in the last three decades.

“But none of that really matters when you just want to hear that there’s a solution,” Bond wrote last month in a post for pop culture website Full Circle Cinema, for which the superhero fan is a contributor.

A former standout football player at Wyoming Valley West High School, Bond is at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., where he is in the intensive care unit being prepared for a liver transplant.

As of Saturday, Bond was stabilized and his father, Kevin Sr., said the family was patiently waiting for a new liver for him.

We’re drawing on that recent blog post to help tell his story because Bond wasn’t able to speak with us right now, but also because his powerful words speak for themselves.

Bond is the son of Kevin and Birgit Bond, formerly of Plymouth. His sister, Jamie Bectal, lives in Mountain Top; another sister, Kayla Bond, lives in Syracuse.

And as he awaits a new liver from a donor he may never know, Bond said he intends to be a lifelong advocate for organ donation.

“I intend to not only have a liver, but when I recover, I’ll be in the best physical condition of my life,” he wrote recently. “I’m already signing up to volunteer for nonprofits, speaking to the public and local government to raise awareness of the need for organ donation.”

Bond has fought the good fight before — when he was 20, he was diagnosed with a different disease, in which case he needed his entire large intestine, appendix, and about 4 inches of his small intestine removed.

Now, Bond has four serious autoimmune diseases.

“But this article isn’t about me,” he wrote.

“This is about why and how you should fight, even when it appears the world has taken away all choice,” he continued. “It’s about how and why I have and will continue to fight, with a little superhero inspiration sprinkled in. The hope is that anybody who reads this will benefit and find strength in it, even though I hope that you’ll never find yourself in a similar circumstance.”

So as Bond battles and waits, he still is making plans for his post-op, new liver life. He intends to return to Georgetown University, where he studied English and played football, to speak to the team. He also has vowed to volunteer with non-profits by speaking publicly to raise awareness of the need for organ donation.

Bond says the only logical choice is to fight “with unwavering optimism.”

“Have faith that in the end, the future is worth it,” he said. “All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight.”

Football star

Ken McDaniels, 47, coached Bond starting with mini-football with the Plymouth Shawnee Indians.

“Kevin has always been the type to lead by example,” McDaniels said. “He mentored the younger kids and he always practiced hard and played hard.”

McDaniels said Bond also was a good student — finishing third in his class. And he supported his community, often participating in efforts to raise money for people in need.

McDaniels said Bond played defensive end and tight end in high school, then went to Georgetown University where he played on the defensive line.

“He’s always been a hard worker — a true leader,” McDaniels said. “He always set a good example.”

McDaniels said Bond always believed in organ donations.

“I feel strongly about it too,” McDaniels said. “Kevin always wanted to help other people. He would cut grass for people and do what he could to help those struggling.”

That positive attitude is something family friend John Borisuck recognized immediately.

“I’ve known him for about 10 years now. He was one of my first friends when I moved from New York,” Borisuck said of Bond, a fellow New York Jets fan who he met when they were both playing high school football.

“We both lived in Plymouth and he would give me rides to football in Kingston,” Borisuck added.

“Just a good guy and a great family,” he said. “Poor guy has been through hell but he’s always got a great outlook on everything that goes on, even this.”

Prayers welcome

Bond’s dad said his son has always stressed the importance of organ and blood donation.

“The biggest message Kevin wants to send is that there are so many people waiting for a transplant across the country,” his father said. “Kevin has fought for his life before. And now he was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, which has caused his liver to fail. The only remedy is a liver transplant.”

On Jan. 1, Bond was brought to Westchester Medical Center, which his father said is the best transplant hospital in New York state. He was evaluated and tested and was immediately placed on the list for a liver transplant. He now has to get strong enough to endure the operation and the exact match of a liver must be found.

“We are praying he gets stronger and healthier,” his dad said. “A liver could come this week.”

Dan Salvaterra, Bond’s cousin, is organizing a fundraiser. He said details will be announced soon.

‘Have faith’

Bond hopes readers will be able to “get something, anything,” out of reading his story.

“Those moments where one is up against death and their only options are to give up or fight on no matter what, those are the moments that miracles happen,” he wrote. “Those are the moments that real heroes are found. Many, too many, will give up. Whether they live or die, they may as well be dead because they’re not allowing themselves to live.

“However, those who never give up, I’ve seen those people summon strength and pull off feats that are unfathomable.”

You get the feeling that Kevin Bond, with the support of his family and friends, will win this fight.

“How, why, and whether or not we do fight, those are all choices. The future isn’t,” Bond wrote.

“It’s inevitable for all. So the only logical choice is to fight with unwavering optimism. Have faith that in the end, the future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight.”