New York, NY – April 27, 2006: On Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” this morning, Kathleen Mrozinski, the mother of organ and tissue donor Kelly Collins, met one of her daughter’s transplant recipients for the first time. In a moving segment that was broadcast live, Kathleen was introduced to intestinal recipient, Brian Conver.

The segment, hosted by veteran TV news personality Lyn Brown, began with a montage of photos depicting Kelly’s all-too-brief life. When Lyn introduced Kathleen to the television audience, she spoke about the pain of Kelly’s death on Mother’s Day in 2002, and how the sadness had resulted in what Kelly would have wanted: the saving of many other lives. Kelly, Katherine recalled, was a loving person and before she died at age 17, she had displayed a great talent for dancing. Her ambition was that one day she would be a choreographer.

Lyn Brown pointed to the empty chair beside Kathleen, and she asked Brian to join them. Brian, age 35, carrying flowers for Katherine, walked into the studio. When they saw each other for the first time, the donor mom and recipient hugged, displaying a unique bond that perhaps only donation can produce. Brian thanked Kathleen and her family for saving his life. It had been, he said, “a matter of life and death.”

Soon thereafter, the other members of the two families came onto the set: Trisha Conver, Brian’s wife, with the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Madelynn; and Jerry Mrozinski, step-father to Kelly since she was very young, with Kelly’s sisters Jenna (age 12) and Victoria (7). Brian said that Kelly had not only saved his life; the birth of Madelynn was an additional reason for gratitude as she was born after the transplant. Trisha told the audience: “Kelly gave me my family.”

BACKGROUND

As she grew up, first in Stony Point and then in Tappan, both in Rockland County, NY, Kelly became involved in high school theater and summer arts programs at the Helen Hayes Theater Company in Nyack. Her goal was to become a choreographer. All of that changed when Kelly was 11-years-old. On what started out as just an ordinary day, she attended a birthday party. Like children sometimes do, she fell on a patch of wet grass and dislocated her elbow. Kathleen said that at first, the injury did not appear to be traumatic--but then Kelly suffered a serious setback. “She ended up with permanent nerve damage, several operations to correct the injury, and an infection of the bone.” The injury and its treatment caused seizures and pain that developed into a neurological disorder called Reflex Sympathetic Disorder (RSD).

Over a period of six years, Kelly was in and out of the hospital, and she often had to be schooled at home. When Kelly turned 16, she decided that she wanted to be an organ donor. “Kelly made this decision because she had become so aware of her medical condition and she understood how important it was to help others.” Little did Kathleen realize that so soon after deciding to become a donor, Kelly would die unexpectedly from complications resulting from RSD and pneumonia. She lost her brave battle on May 13, 2002. She was in the 11th grade.

Following her daughter’s wishes, Kathleen says that she donated whatever she could -- Kelly’s heart, kidneys, intestines, bone, liver, skin, eyes, and pancreas. To honor Kelly, her family established the Kelly Collins Scholarship that benefits students in the arts because of her passion for the theater. Kathleen explained that they hand out at least six scholarships a year. It brings a sense of satisfaction to Kathleen, but also heartache. “Although Kelly is unable to pursue her dream of being involved with the arts, I am happy to help other children pursue their dreams. She is smiling from above at those who are singing, dancing and acting in her name.”

Brian Conver lives with his family in Telford, PA. He is employed as a machinist. In 1999, he was involved in an accident, which meant that he had to be fed intravenously. He was told by doctors that he would have to be fed by tube for the rest of his life. But then, in 2002, Brian’s health took a turn for the worse, and his liver function became life-threatening. His only hope for survival was an intestinal transplant. A few weeks later, Brian received Kelly’s intestine (small bowel) at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. At that time, there were only three transplant centers in the United States that performed these kinds of transplant surgery. Today, there are only five intestinal transplant centers in the nation.

Photos of the Mrozinski-Conver Meeting

Kelly Collins – Some of the Photos Shown During the Photo Montage on Good Day New York
 

For more information, contact Martin Woolf at 646-291-4460 or mwoolf@nyodn.org.