Former Raven Donates Kidney To Brother, Ex-Steeler
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Last week, you saw the Ravens crush the Steelers right here on WJZ but Wednesday, two of the former players and rivals have come together for a different reason.
Derek Valcourt explains a special connection as allowed a former Raven to make the ultimate save for a former Steeler.
Their gridiron sibling rivalry hit the sidelines in favor of brotherly love when one of them needed help tackling a life-threatening kidney disease that required a transplant.
Chris and Ma'ake Kemoeatu are no strangers to winning tough battles. Ma'ake celebrated the 2013 world championship with the Baltimore Ravens and his younger brother Chris has two Super Bowl rings thanks to his stint with the Steelers.
But it was Chris' failing kidney that forced the Hawaii natives to put their football careers on hold. Ma'ake---a perfect donor match---left the Ravens to help.
"Because I am the oldest of my younger siblings and I have to lead by example and take care of my younger brothers," Ma'ake said.
"It has definitely brought us closer as brothers," Chris said. "It's really been a humbling experience for me to see him make this huge sacrifice for me."
But before doctors could do the kidney transplant, there was a setback: tests discovered Chris needed heart surgery, as well.
"I had to talk to him in football aspects. Alright, it's fourth and long right now. We thought we were going to get the first down but it's fourth and long right now. We gotta go deep and he threw for a first down and made it through the heart surgery and got in the endzone and did the kidney surgery," Ma'ake said.
Not only was Ma'ake the perfect match medically, University of Maryland Medical Center doctors say the brothers' relatively comparable size made the match even better and the surgery went smoothly.
Though no longer officially a Raven, Ma'ake says Ravens management has been a huge support for the family throughout this tough ordeal.
Ma'ake did not rule out returning to football but both he and Chris say after all they've been through, they're looking forward to returning to their family, the businesses they own and the charitable foundation they run in their home state of Hawaii.
Doctors say both brothers should be cleared to return home to Hawaii in about six weeks.
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