Stormtroopers Unite

Jeff Romanoff of Pennsylvania is the recipient of a new kidney, through the help of the 501st Legion of Star Wars Stormtroopers.

Following multiple kidney surgeries for von Hippel-Lindau, Jeff’s right kidney was gone, and his left kidney was failing.  He needed a kidney transplant to save his life.

Jeff and his brother attended a Storm Troopers event in Philadelphia, gathering fans and costumers from all over the region.  The 501st Legion is one of the many fan groups that wear authentic-looking costumes from the Star Wars movies and appear at charity events.  His brother got the word out among club members that Jeff needed a kidney.  Members immediately began signing up to be tested.

They met Eric Seemann there from Long Island.  “He found out about my situation,” Jeff says, “and he said he wanted to be tested.  And miraculously ... he was a match!”

Asked why he would give up his kidney to a guy he had just met through a Star Wars club, Eric replied, “You never knew when your time is going to stop in this world.  Sometimes you just have to step up.  You don’t just walk past someone who is in pain, you have to stop and help them.  And that’s what I decided to do.”

It’s not unusual to hear of someone giving a kidney to a family member, but Eric really didn’t know him that well.   Why did he do it?

“I’m not the first person in my family to donate a kidney.  My elder brother donated a kidney to my sister-in-law’s cousin about ten years ago.  I’ve also had the opportunity to see things from both sides of the fence.  About two years ago my mother was in a car accident and was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant.  So I’ve watched someone lie there and hope that someone will step up and make a match, and to see what it’s like to be a donor.  But I’ve always been registered as an organ donor.”

After weeks of testing and confirmation that Eric was a good match, both men traveled to the Cleveland Clinic where the transplant was performed by a team headed by Dr. David Goldfarb.  During their recovery, members of the 501st Legion visited them in the hospital, and they spoke at an event promoting transplantation. 

“Words can never express my gratitude.  Although it seems trite, Eric saved my life.  He’s my hero.  It’s my job now to be worthy of his sacrifice and his gift to me.  My family, my wife Jane and son Nicholas have been wonderfully supportive, and also the Police Department I work with, but Eric is my hero.”

The 501st Legion promotes the Star Wars movie and gives back to the community.  Romanoff himself joined in 1999 when he first put on a Stormtrooper costume.   Seeman joined in 2007 when Romanoff’s garrison was in New York City raising money for Albin Johnson, the daughter of the 501st Legion’s founder.

“He saved my life,” stated Romanoff in regards to Seemann. “I’m completely cancer-free and I have a brand new kidney. There aren’t many words that can describe what he’s done for me.”

Editor’s Note: As long as the size of the largest tumor removed from the kidney was sufficiently small (under 3 cm), the risk of metastatic disease may be considered small enough that a kidney transplant might be performed at the same time as the removal of the last bit of remaining kidney.  This is a decision that can only be made by the urologist at the time.  If there is any danger that cancer cells might have escaped, there may still be a recommendation to wait two years after removal of the last bit of kidney.

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 17:3, October 2009. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.