09/29/2025
Today is National Good Neighbor Day! Read about Nebraska's longest kidney chain, as told by Live On Nebraska Ambassador and the very start of that chain, Sue. ❤️
"A good neighbor, we often say, is genuine. A person who treats you with kindness, respect, and a readiness to help. But the truth extends far beyond the fence line, embracing a wider community, even strangers in urgent need. Good neighbors understand they don't live in isolation; their actions ripple, their decisions impact. They are always willing to lend a hand, knowing that the smallest gesture can ignite the biggest change, understanding that the well-being of all is inextricably linked. This profound truth was celebrated, ironically, not on National Good Neighbor Day itself, but in the echoes of its spirit, when nine lives were irrevocably changed at Nebraska Medicine. It was a testament to the interconnectedness of humanity, where the definition of "neighbor" expanded to encompass the most astonishing acts of selflessness.
In Omaha, Kelly Mogler lived near Mark Kitzelman a dear friend who desperately needed a kidney. Miles away in Cozad, Tyler Sturdeon was a neighbor and friend of Rick Love, a man living with kidney failure. Kelly and Tyler were actual, geographical neighbors, bound by proximity and a shared desire to help those they cared for deeply. They both understood that simply being "next door" to someone in need carried a silent obligation, a call to action. But helping Mark and Rick wasn't straightforward. They weren't direct matches. This hurdle, however, did not deter Kelly and Tyler. Instead, it led them to a remarkable solution: the kidney chain. By agreeing to become living donors within this complex, life-saving network, they committed to donating a kidney to a stranger, in turn ensuring that their neighbors, Mark and Rick, would receive a compatible kidney from another generous donor in the chain. Their decision was a pure embodiment of neighborly love, extending their kindness beyond their immediate recipients.
The chain itself was a marvel of human compassion. The spark was ignited due to my experience of not being a match for someone in my life. I became a non-directed donor, meaning I had no personal connection to anyone on the waiting list, but still wanted to donate a kidney to improve the life of someone in need. This was the first domino in a sequence of nine life-altering events. After Kelly and Tyler, 6 other living donors joined the chain. These individuals were also driven by love, each wanting to help a loved one who needed a kidney transplant. They, like Kelly and Tyler, weren't direct matches for their specific recipients. But by donating their kidneys to others in the chain, they created the necessary links, ensuring that their own loved ones would ultimately receive a life-saving transplant. They were not neighbors in the traditional sense, but their actions were the very essence of neighborliness, reaching across hospitals and miles to touch lives they might never meet.
On that unforgettable week in 2017, nine patients received the gift of new life. Each kidney, each selfless act of donation, was a tangible expression of a good neighbor's core values: genuine kindness, profound respect for another's well-being, and an unwavering willingness to help. The ripple effect was undeniable.
These nine living donors, though not all linked by property lines or shared fences, were united by something far more powerful: the spirit of a good neighbor. They understood that the fabric of society is woven from such threads of generosity. They proved that true neighborliness isn’t just about proximity, but about profound connection—a vital, life-saving network of kindness that truly makes a difference, demonstrating that when we act as good neighbors to each other, we build a community that thrives, one selfless heart at a time." - Sue, living kidney donor
