Talk Nation Spring 2017 Featuring Dr. Kamal Woods

5
Frank: I’d like to welcome everyone
to Breaking It Down. Frank MacKay
here. It’s my pleasure -- I’m thrilled--
to have the incomparable Bobby
Rydell with us. Bobby, how are you?
Bobby: I’m just fine Frank, and
yourself?
Frank: I’m doing great. I’m so glad
to hear you’re doing well and getting
strong. I know you had a bit of a
health scare a while back.
Bobby: Yeah, just a little bit.
Frank: Yeah. Listen, from what I hear
you’re stronger than ever and you
sound great and you’re performing
as well as ever. Do you feel good up
there on stage?
Bobby: Yeah, I really do Frank. To let
the audience in about what you’re
talking about, it’ll be five years
come this July the 9th that I went
through a double transplant surgery.
I had a new liver and a new kidney
put inside me. After the surgery,
of course there was recoup time,
but then six months later after the
surgery, I was back again on stage
working in Vegas. Now it’s going on
to five years and jobs feel great and I
feel great. So far everything is really,
really wonderful.
Frank: Thank God. It’s terrific. Let
me ask you, and pardon my ignorance
on this, how rare is a double
transplant?
Bobby: That’s a good question. I
really don’t know, but my donor was
a young girl by the name of Julia. She
was only 21 years old, Frank, came
from Reading, Pennsylvania, just
like 50 miles from my home here in
Philadelphia. One of the reasons that
I did ... I was able to get the liver transplant
was that I was also going into
renal failure involving the kidney. It
was just ... It was like a miracle the way
it happened Frank. As far as double
transplants, I don’t know, but I was
fortunate enough to be able to get
a partial liver and brand new kidney
from my donor.
Frank: I’m sure you’re asked this a
lot, but it’s got to be a new lease on
life, or feel like a new lease on life
once you rehab and once you get
back out there.
Bobby: That’s absolutely for sure
Frank. I remember I was talking to
a couple of people who had transplants,
liver transplants, and this
was of course prior to my surgery.
I didn’t know if I was going to get
one. You have to be put on a list
and yada, yada, yada. They said you
won’t believe, Bobby, if you’re fortunate
enough, how good you’re going
to feel after you’re able to receive a
new liver, and that’s absolutely true,
really. I feel absolutely ... I was sick as
hell prior to the surgery to the point
where if I didn’t get the liver and
the kidney I would have been dead
within a couple of weeks.
Frank: Listen, congratulations to
you and congratulations to Julia.
There’s got to be a spot reserved in
heaven, wherever that is, for Julia.
Bobby: She’s my special angel. The
great thing about the whole process,
Frank, was that I shared a liver. I
thought I was the primary receiver,
but there was a little girl here in
Philadelphia. She was only four years
old. She was the primary recipient
and we split Julia’s liver. The little girl
got 25%, I got 75%. Of course, the
liver is the only organ in the body
that rejuvenates, so now she’s eight
old and she has a full liver and I have
a full liver. I mean organ donorship
is absolutely tremendous. It really is
the gift of life.
TALK NATION |ISSUE VIII