'He Saved My Life': LI Lifeguard Needed A Kidney; Co-Worker Steps Up

WEST ISLIP, NY — A lifeguard's job is as unpredictable as the tides. Each day, as they supervise the safety and rescue of beach goers, they never know who they may help. And in extreme circumstances, whose lives they will valiantly save.

But for lifeguard Brandon Cullen, 24, of West Islip, his most extraordinary save was not on the beach, but in an operating room.

At the age of 6, Joe Curry, 24, of Holbrook, was diagnosed with Alport syndrome, a rare genetic disease which affects kidney function. The diagnosis had barely affected his quality of life, Curry told Patch, as he led an active lifestyle, and loved swimming, surfing.

Becoming a lifeguard for Curry was a natural decision. His father, David, is also a lifeguard and currently works at Robert Moses State Park Field 4.

Curry met Cullen, who also comes from a life guarding family, while both were working at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park.

The following summer, Curry transferred to Robert Moses State Park Field 2, and convinced Cullen to join him.

Growing up, both young men would visit the beach with their families and had fond memories of the experience.

“He's (David Curry) has been taking me here to Robert Moses since I was little. Brandon had that same experience with his family bringing him here,” said Curry. “It was the endgame for us.”

They would go onto have “a blast” working the next five summers together.

“That's when we really became close friends,” said Cullen.

Cullen told Patch he knew of Curry’s kidney problems, but only to a certain extent.

“We've always been surfing and like working out together,” said Cullen. “He always seemed healthy.”

But in the fall of 2022, while pursuing his graduate degree in education, Curry’s health took a turn. His kidneys slowly stopped functioning, and was forced to go on dialysis.

This impacted his day-to-day responsibilities so much, he resigned from his substitute teacher position at William Floyd School District.

“Over time, I felt like my body was just tired,” said Curry. ”No matter how much sleep I was getting, I was just exhausted.”

The teacher said he to grateful of his parents for supporting him at that time, so that he could focus on his health.

“ I couldn't imagine being in that situation and trying to work as well,” Curry said. “It's (dialysis) a stressful process in itself.”

Curry was placed on a kidney transplant list. But the odds of him receiving a new kidney were slim.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, the median wait time for an individual’s first kidney transplant is 3.6 years and can vary depending on health, compatibility and availability of organs.

More than 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month, and 13 people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.

Cullen had been participating in a work-study program in New Zealand while Curry went on dialysis, unaware of his friend's situation.

He only heard of Curry’s condition when he came home for Christmas on a break. A mutual friend had called him, and together they visited Curry.

“It was a very scary time,” Cullen said. “There were just so many uncertainties.”

He ended up speaking with Curry’s parents to learn more about the genetic disease. In the conversation, Cullen asked for Curry’s blood type.

It was O +, they said — the same as Cullen’s.

“That's when the gears started turning,” he said.

That night, Cullen went to his parents’ house and spoke with them about the situation.

“I slept on it,” he said. “And in the morning, I decided that it's something that I need to do. I need to at least try and help my friend.”

At first, Cullen said his parents, Kevin and Janine, were “extremely worried”, but proud of him for wanting to help.

“They understand that when you care about someone, you want to do whatever you can to help them,” he said.

The next day, Cullen returned to Curry’s house and declared his decision to help. Curry's mother, Ali, instructed Cullen on the next steps, such as filling out paperwork and scheduling a visit to NYU Langone Hospital in Manhattan, where Curry was receiving his treatments.

Curry told Patch that he always “had faith” his health problems would be resolved, but Cullen’s decision was a wave of “relief” for himself and his family.

“I never really have been one to ask for help. I always suffered in silence,” said Curry. “So for just for him to actually just volunteer like that, it was really miraculous.”

Cullen told Patch that testing took a few weeks, running “every kind of test imaginable” to ensure he was a healthy candidate.

For each test, he would take the Long Island Rail Road from West Islip to Manhattan — at least an hour and a half commute one way.

When testing ended, Cullen returned to New Zealand to continue his work-study program.

The call came a month later.

“Being in limbo, we didn't know which way it was going to go,” said Cullen. “Having a definitive match, that we are compatible, and we can do this, it felt great.”

Cullen immediately booked a flight home.

“It's almost like, ‘Who lifeguards the lifeguard?’” said Curry.

Two weeks later, on March 13, Curry and Cullen underwent surgery at NYU Langone.

Overall, the surgery was “pretty seamless”, Curry said.

Doctors explained that they placed Cullen's kidney on Curry's abdominal region, giving him a total of three kidneys. But in time, the other two kidneys will shrink after they cease function, Curry said.

“Everyone in that hospital, l from the surgeons to the nurses and the workers, were just really wonderful, and they did a really great job,” he said.

The two even “fist-bumped” after the exchanged.

“The nurses asked us and both of us, ‘Wait, do you know your donor?’,” said Cullen. “They thought we didn't know each other because we were being a little delirious from the anesthesia afterward.”

Both young men felt intense soreness and tiredness when they woke up from surgery. Luckily, with the help of family and the hospital staff, they had a successful recovery. Hospital employees even had the two walking the day after surgery.

“They had me and Joe on the same floor for our recovery,” said Cullen. “It was a little incentive to get us to walk to each other. We ‘d take turns like taking a little slow, hunched over treks to check on each other.”

While it was “rough”, each day “there was some type of improvement.”

After he was released from the hospital, Curry spent three months at home. That time period was “critical” because he was on a high dosage of immunosuppressants.

“You're almost like an infant in a way,” Curry said. “I didn't really see a lot of people. And if people did come, it was at a distance, or it was outside.”

But recovery did not stop once the soreness depleted. Their final step: Pass their lifeguard recertification tests for summer 2023. The rehire consists of a 100 yard freestyle in under 1:15 minutes or better, and then a 400 yard (or one lap on the track in 2:00 minutes.

Cullen told Patch he gradually was able to exercise after recovery. He took and passed his re-qualifying test in mid-May, and even worked the “pre-season” from Memorial Day until June 23.

For Curry, he waited until his doctors said it was alright to exercise. He eventually was able to get “a few swim sessions” in before his test.

“I used to swim back in high school, so I was hoping that would come to kind of help me,” Curry said.

Cullen even presented Curry a “friendly wager” to motivate his friend.

“I was a little worried because Joe is a little bit behind in his recovery time, obviously adjusting, to a new organ,” said Cullen. So I bet him a pint of an ice cream if he would swim faster than me in the test.”

On May 23, Curry took his re-qualification test.

He passed — and beat Cullen’s time by five seconds. Cullen bought him cookies and cream.

“The sweetest pint of ice cream,” said Cullen.

Curry told Patch he is forever grateful for his kind deed.

“He saved my life,” he said. “I always considered him a brother. This kind of just cements that.”

By June 24, the two friends were back on the beach.

“It’s just great for both of us, to have a return to normalcy and to a job that we love,” said Curry.

Working as lifeguards together, in good health, was something they took for granted, they both said.

Curry told Patch he intends to get back into teaching this fall. When the summer ends, Cullen will return to New Zealand to work on an oyster farm in his work-study program.

But in terms of future summer plans, they’ve got each other penciled in.

“We always love the summer and coming around to lifeguard season, but being here now is probably the sweetest it has ever felt,” said Cullen.” It’s a new perspective. Every day down here, we have a new appreciation for just being able to work together.”