Apr 16, 2009 11:35 pm US/Eastern
'The Force' Unites Lower Merion Officer & Donor
LOWER MERION, Pa. (CBS 3) ―
A Montgomery County police officer, desperate for a life-saving transplant, found his "Jedi Knight" among some Sci-Fi friends. It is "The Force" that brought the donor and his recipient together.
The world renowned Cleveland Clinic looked a bit like a "Star Wars" movie set at mid afternoon, but it made perfect sense.
The familiar characters were paying a visit to Lower Merion Police Officer Jeffrey Romanoff. Officer Romanoff is a huge Star Wars fan and is recovering from a kidney transplant.
However, for Officer Romanoff, Star Wars has provided much more than entertainment; it has given him the chance for a new life.
Afflicted with a rare kidney disease and desperate to find a transplant donor, Officer Romanoff, who belongs to a Star Wars fan group, met Eric Seemann at a convention and he provided the perfect match.
"Words can never describe I think the true selflessness that Eric has shown towards me and my family. What can you say to a person who is giving you a second shot at life?" Officer Romanoff said.
Thanks to his fellow Star Wars legion member, Officer Romanoff, instead of facing a decline into dialysis and more severe problems, is now heading home to his non-Jedi family -- his wife, 7-year-old son, and fellow officers who are celebrating his successful surgery.
"He's in great spirits, he's up and moving around, it's a real miracle," Lt. John Dougherty of the Lower Merion Police Department explained.
For Officer Romanoff, who has fantasized much of his life about being a Jedi Knight in a space ship, he now finds his real life dream is coming true; the dream of being back in patrol car #18 on the streets of Lower Merion.
"Words can never describe what he's given to me," Officer Romanoff said.
Officer Romanoff is hoping his story will inspire others.
April is National Donate Life Month. 101,000 people are now in need of an organ for transplant. Each day, 77 receive one, but 17 to 19 others die because they did not.
RELATED LINK:
OrganDonor.Gov
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