Trenton Police Officer Seeks Kidney for Sick Mother

As Trenton police officer Cpl. Bill Cheplick's mother, father and daughter sat around his dining room table Thursday afternoon, his mother, Mary, told him he was her No. 1 son, which Cheplick said was good, because he's her only son.

The Cheplick family said they have a close family bond, which made news of Mary's kidney failure difficult for each of them to endure. Mary, 75, was diagnosed with stage four kidney failure in February following a short battle with Legionaries disease and pneumonia.

After placing her name on a number of donor waiting lists in Michigan and Ohio, Mary's No. 1 son has started seeking help from the community where he's lived and worked his entire life. Cheplick is seeking a matching kidney donor that could save his mother's life.

Cheplick, 44, said finding a matching kidney for his mother would mean the world to him, his wife Jodi, 44, and his daughter Amber, 12.

"She's a good person and a beautiful mom," Cheplick said.

Cheplick has started spreading the word about his sick mother by contacting local media outlets and by creating a Facebook page called Mary Cheplick Needs a New Kidney.

This isn't the first time Mary's name has graced nearby donor lists. In 2009, she experienced kidney failure and later learned she was in need of a transplant. Mary's wait for a new kidney was cut unexpectedly short when she received what she called her 50th wedding anniversary gift from her husband Bill.

"I had them check my blood, just for the heck of it, to see if, maybe, I was a match and, after they checked it, we were a perfect match," Bill, 75, said.

Mary's transplant was a success and she remained healthy until simultaneously contracting Legionnaires' disease and pneumonia, causing her new kidney to fail.

Mary said the urgency for her second transplant is high.

"I need it right now," she said.

Cheplick said the thought of losing his mother weighs on him heavily and he spends much of his free time trying to get the word out to as many people as possible with hopes of finding a matching kidney for his mother.

"It's on my mind 24 hours a day," Cheplick said. "You think about it whether you're working or playing or whatever. You can be sound asleep and wake up after five hours and it pops right in your head. It's nonstop thinking about it."

The Cheplick family encourage anyone with an "O" blood type to call them at 734-281-4007 or email them at marycheplick@yahoo.com. Potential donors will be tested for compatibility at no charge. The transplant procedure would also be completed at no charge.

Bill said his transplant procedure was virtually painless and took less than an hour.

"I was back on my feet the same night," Bill said.

Mary said getting a new kidney would be like winning a million dollars.

"She'd be around to be able to cook for me for the next couple of years," Bill said in jest. "I need a partner. I need a good partner. She's a good partner."