Mets icon Kranepool finds 'miracle' kidney donor
This browser does not support the video element.
NEW YORK -- Ed Kranepool was recently discussing his medical issues with his wife, Monica, when the latter broke down crying in his car. Urging her to stay strong, Kranepool reiterated the importance of positivity despite an unfavorable situation: a two-year wait for a kidney donor, with no end in sight.
Later that day, the phone rang. It was the hospital. A donor had been found.
“It was like a miracle,” Kranepool said. “So you’ve got to believe all the time. You’ve got to stay positive. I was never down. I always thought they could find something for me.”
Kranepool’s two-year medical struggle is headed toward a happy resolution, with surgery scheduled for May 7 at Stony Brook (N.Y.) University Hospital. Since 2017, Kranepool has been searching for a kidney donor due to two failing organs. The Mets became involved last summer, making Kranepool’s fight public in the hopes of finding a donor.
“It feels good to be in the good graces of the Mets,” Kranepool said Monday, with 1969 Mets teammate Ron Swoboda on hand to show his support. "It’s been the only club I’ve known for the last 60 years. It’s been a long time I’ve been in the family.”
A Met from 1962-79, Kranepool expects to attend the team’s 1969 anniversary celebration in June, along with most living members of that club.