Long Island family hopes to inspire organ donations after daughter matched with father
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A Long Island woman is giving her father the gift of life.
He's suffering from kidney disease, and she is going to be his donor. The family is hoping to inspire others to become organ donors.
The day Matthew Carlson, of Mineola, suffering with kidney disease, divulged to his family the seriousness of his life-threatening condition, he says, was "a very emotional day."
"I am the luckiest person in this room because I have two children, a son and a daughter, that ran -- they didn't walk, they ran -- to get tested to see if they were a match," he said.
His daughter, Stephanie Carlson Trotti, was.
"It was probably one of the best days of my life, besides having my children, because I can give the gift of life," she said.
The surgery will be Monday at Northwell Health.
"Even though I'm helping my dad, he's the hero in my eyes," she said.
His 200 coworkers at Rallye Motors in Westbury had no idea Carlson had hereditary kidney disease, spending hours on dialysis before coming to work, praying and hoping.
"New Yorkers need to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry to save each other," said Aisha Tator, with Donate Life New York State.
Five hundred people die every year in New York State, unable to receive a life-changing organ transplant. Eight thousand are on the wait list here.
Eleven-year-old Ava Walia, of Syosset, is a child ambassador for organ donation.
"My grandpa had kidney disease, and for him to get a kidney transplant in New York, the wait was seven to 10 years, and he did not have that time. He passed away last year," Ava said.
The Carlsons know how fortunate they are.
"My goal is to teach people how important it is to be an organ donor," Carlson said.
"I'm so lucky that I get to call Matthew Carlson my father, and I'm happy that I can help him," Carlson Trotti said.
Once they are out of the hospital and well on the road to recovery, the Carlsons plan to cook together a big Sunday family meal of veal marsala and penne a la vodka.