CHOP nurse makes life-saving plea for kidney donation

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A CHOP nurse who was once a patient himself, spends his career helping children and now he is making a life-saving plea to the community for help.

"Mind over matter, where there is a will there is a way," said Adam Hyman.

That philosophy on life is what got Adam Hyman this far. The 51-year-old nurse has spent decades grappling with a rare condition called Zollinger Ellison syndrome.

"It's tumors that can either be malignant or not. It's usually at the head of your pancreas and it secretes acid," said Hyman.

Hyman says he spent an entire year at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a teen. The experience inspired him to become a nurse and now he's been working for CHOP for 24 years.

"They saved my life two or three times," he said.

Adam is an avid and passionate runner, often found jogging all over Philadelphia for miles at a time but now he's facing another challenge.

"My thing is quality of life," Hyman said. "I want to live each day to the fullest."

Five years ago, Adam's health took another turn, and he underwent a kidney transplant, thanks to his longtime friend Mike Green.

"When he needed help, I thought I had to step up and give him help because he gave so many kids help and I admired him for that," said Hyman.

Their now 45-year friendship is stronger than ever and so is Mike's health.

"I feel the same as I always felt, there's no change in anything I can do or anything I can eat. I just decided to take care of myself more," said Green.

Right after celebrating their 5-year transplant anniversary this summer, Adam found out his kidney is failing again and now he needs another donor, and fast.

"My heart breaks for him that he has to go through this again," said Green.

Adam's blood type is AB positive, which means he is a universal receiver. He's waiting to get on the kidney registry, but time is not on his side.

"I need to work on getting living donors because if not its five to eight years to get a kidney," said Hyman.

"We've talked and I said I was just the bridge to get you to the right one," said Green.

Adam is hoping someone out there will get the simple blood test to see if they're a match and hopefully give him another chance at life.