Trooper Transplant 

[Music playing]

Andrew Geer: I've got a genetic disorder called Alport Syndrome. My twin brother also has it, and it's a pretty progressive disease. 

[Text on screen: Andrew Geer
Kidney Recipient]

Andrew Geer: And I found out from our physical fitness test that we take every two years through our patrol academy, it's for the GXT. My kidney function numbers came in lower, so they referred me to a kidney specialist and then progressed from there. May of '23, I got hospitalized. I was having some stomach issues for about six weeks, and so I said I might want to go check this out. And they said my kidneys were barely even functioning. And right then, I got put on the transplant list. The secretary of my post asked if I needed a kidney donation and, God willing, she said yes.

[Text on screen: Tracy Harvey
Kidney Donor]

Tracy Harvey: That started the journey for just different testing and procedures. This was something that was always near and dear to my heart, anyways.

Andrew Geer: I had just got off work. I was putting my guns in the safe. She said, "Hey, I want to read something off to you." And I don't know the exact verbiage, but it said something about a cross-check being a negative. And then when she said that, my heart kind of sunk. But then she said, "Which means you can be a direct donor to your coworker, Andrew," and I started crying. Yeah, it was the best news you could ever imagine.

Tracy Harvey: And I'll never forget because the text he sent back to me said he felt like he won the lottery. And I'm just like, you know, what else could a person ask for? So it was just so precious.

Andrew Geer: The miracle of it all was she the only one that got tested and she ended up being a match.

Tracy Harvey: The most important thing is like, God, please let this work. Please let this heal this person.

[Text on screen: Amer Rajab, MD, PhD
Surgical Director, Kidney & Pancreas Transplantation
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

Amer Rajab, MD, PhD: Every patient is unique, every patient is special, and I remember so many of them, believe it or not. I have done over 4,000 transplant procedures since I joined Ohio State.

Andrew Geer: It felt like home because everybody from, every single person you meet here, they genuinely care about you. You don't feel like a number. You feel like an actual person here. It's awesome. This hospital is amazing.

Tracy Harvey: What a wonderful feeling that was to just feel all the love and support from not only everyone I worked with, but everybody from OSU that was there. I mean, the doctor and nurses that took care of me. It was amazing.

Amer Rajab, MD, PhD: For somebody, just coworker or friend, and sometimes they don't know each other and you see how much she is concerned about him more than her, just you want to help.

Andrew Geer: OSU helped me in more ways than I can ever even repay.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/kidneydonor]

[Music fades]