He fought fires for 32 years, and then helped his wife and daughter fight cancer. Now retired firefighter John Hennessy has end-stage kidney disease and he needs help to fight it.
About John Hennessy
John Hennessy, 66, comes from a long line of firefighters – he is actually the fourth generation to serve as a firefighter in Milford, a small Massachusetts town about 25 miles southeast of Worcestor.
John can trace his family’s 150 years of Milford firefighting history to his great-grandfather, who served in what was then a volunteer fire brigade. John followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and his father, who he says was his greatest mentor as a man and as a firefighter. After 32 years on the job, John retired in 2014. He traded in fire hoses for garden hoses, working at a pool supply store to keep busy and continue to serve people. He also took his Harley Road King on day trips, and was – and is – a hard-core Boston sports fan.
John, married for 37 years, had a scare in 2017 when his wife Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer. She and John fought it successfully, but in 2022 their younger daughter battled ovarian cancer.
John and his family got more bad news last winter when he was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. A new kidney, the doctor said, was the only thing that could save him.
His family members tested and were not a match, except for his younger daughter. But since she is a recent cancer survivor, she wouldn’t be able to donate a kidney until 2028, which would likely be too late.
John is anxious to get back to enjoying his three children, three grandchildren and his pit-bull puppy Hank. And he’d love to get to Boston to cheer for his beloved Bruins and Celtics, which is why a man who spent his life serving and helping others is now asking for help to find a kidney donor.
Do you want to help John? Please share the link to John’s story or reach out to Kidneys for Communities at info@kidneysforcommunities.org to learn more about how you can help. The Kidneys for Communities team is here to answer your questions.
KIDNEY DONATION
How does kidney donation work?
A donor doesn’t need to be an exact match. In fact, because of the Nobel Prize-winning paired kidney exchange program, your kidney donation will not only save one life, but it will save several more in the chain.
Living kidney donation is safe, and all costs associated with your donation are covered. Living donor kidneys also last much longer than deceased donor kidneys. A deceased donor kidney transplant, on average, lasts 10-15 years, while a living donor transplant lasts 12-20 years.
Kidneys for Communities® Donor Benefits
Donating a kidney is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling acts someone can do.
Kidneys for Communities can help you through the process to help save a life, but we know there are many obstacles that can be prohibitive to the donor. At Kidneys for Communities, we take care of our donors with the industry’s most complete donor benefits package:
Onboarding and education
Personalized guidance through the donation process
Anonymity
Cost reimbursements:
Travel, food & lodging, lost wages, child, pet and adult care