His Brother's Gift of a Healthy Kidney

At just 29 years old, Kevin Montello’s kidneys began to fail after many years of living with kidney disease.  

Thankfully, with tremendous support from his family, many of whom were tested to see if they might be a match, he didn’t have to look far for a donor. 

“My brother, David, was almost a perfect match,” Kevin says, and adds, “Early on, the doctors and staff at the Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Program were always available and helped guide us through the process. And before we knew it, we were scheduled a date of surgery for March 5.” 

Unfortunately, Kevin recalls the procedure was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Anxiously waiting to hear back from the staff at WCM/NYP, we finally got the call that our new date was June 10,” he says. “Our coordinator assured us that the hospital was taking all the necessary precautions to reopen, and explained to us the new standards for surgery and recovery,” he says.  

All staff members were quarantined and tested. They were required to wear masks at all times, during both surgery and recovery.   

“Thankfully the surgery with Dr. Sandip Kapur went very well,” Kevin says. “We were in recovery for five days with excellent care from the nurses, and now my brother and I are doing great. I feel better than ever with much more energy….We will be planning a surfing trip, which is something we’ve been wanting to do for some time.”