Jessy's Story

Jessy Kyle has, for many years, had an idea of what the future held for her.

She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at 16. Her oncologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was fairly confident that with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, she would be cancer-free within a year. But the oncologist told her that the radiation would likely cause heart issues in about 30 years.

Even with that knowledge, the choice was simple for her and her parents: "I could continue living with the treatment or die without it."

In September 2022, Jessy underwent an aortic valve replacement at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to correct a deteriorating condition that, as her oncologist predicted, stemmed from the radiation treatment she received 32 years earlier. Having known this was a possibility for most of her life, Jessy was uniquely calm as she was wheeled into the operating room.

But when she awoke afterward, she was faced with an unexpected, and potentially deadly, twist: Her kidneys were no longer working on their own.

For the next four months, Jessy underwent dialysis three times a week as her nephrologist, Mary Ann C. Lim, MD, monitored her progress–or, as it turned out, her lack thereof. Come January, Dr. Lim told Jessy she needed a kidney transplant.

Brendan Kelly, Jessy's husband, heard all he needed to hear. Without any further discussion, he promptly volunteered to be a living donor.

Jessy's Blessing

The fall of 1989 was the first of three times that Jessy was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was pronounced cancer-free in 2009 and has remained this way since. But the cumulative effects of her treatment have taken a toll on her body.

In 2005, Jessy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and referred to Joseph R. Carver, MD, Chief of Staff of the Abramson Cancer Center and the Emeritus Director of the Thalheimer Center for Cardio-Oncology. They managed her condition for many years through a restrictive diet and medication. But in 2020, a stent was placed in her left anterior descending artery, which was more than 95 percent blocked. Even so, she had a heart attack the following year.

Still, Jessy led a relatively normal life. She exercised regularly. She also sang the national anthem at Eagles and Sixers games. Things changed in June 2022, when, suddenly, she was exhausted from a block-long walk to the beach. Three months later, she underwent the aortic valve replacement.

Jessy was told a living donor transplant was her best option. With more than 90,000 people on the national kidney transplant waiting list, it could take several years for an organ to become available. Conversely, once a living donor is identified, it typically takes three to six months for them to undergo the necessary testing and for the operation to be scheduled.

Brendan was the first volunteer, but he was far from the only one. Several others also came forward.

"I am extraordinarily blessed," Jessy says of the outpouring.

Given her medical history, Jessy says it was not a foregone conclusion that she'd be eligible for a transplant. After undergoing extensive testing herself, she was notified that she could be a recipient. A week later, Brendan was approved as a donor. And a week after that, another call: Brendan was approved to be her donor.

Excited for the Future

Their surgeries took place on July 12, 2023 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jessy believes she emerged from three bouts of cancer as a goal-oriented person. She says she learned to endure the treatments by focusing on their ultimate effect. Dialysis, by comparison, was a jarring experience for her because it was supposed to be a bridge to a kidney transplant, but no one could say when, or if, that day would come. Her husband's selfless act changed that.

Along the way, Jessy says she had full confidence in the care she received, which helped ground her during moments of uncertainty.

"I've been treated at Penn since 2000," Jessy says. "And I've been through a lot over that time, so I've developed close relationships with some of my doctors. Through everything, I've felt privileged to have access to their knowledge and the innovation that drives their care. People travel from all over the world to be treated there. I'm fortunate to live just a 40-minute drive away. It's saved my life."

Brendan returned to work a week after the surgery. With her new kidney, Jessy has regained her active lifestyle.

In October, four months removed from her transplantation, she stepped onto the field at Lincoln Financial Field to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before an Eagles game, which is something she's done countless times before. But this time she was overwhelmed with emotion. She had made it back. All the way back.

Jessy has bloodwork done every couple of weeks and she sees Dr. Lim monthly, but life, otherwise, has settled into a comfortable rhythm for her. At the moment, she's preparing to launch a business venture she's been working on for more than a decade and she's singing at Sixers games.

"Physically, I feel great," she says. "I feel like I'm in the best health I've been in in my adult life. I'm excited for what's next."