Ed Kranepool’s second miracle likely will enable him to attend the reunion in June of the first one nearly 50 years ago when he was the first baseman on the 1969 world champion Mets. At 74, Kranepool has a new kidney, and the perpetual smile on his face Friday underscored the report by Dr. Frank S. Darras that Kranepool’s kidney function was “close to normal,’’ three days after receiving the organ donation from Deborah Barbieri, a 56-year-old Mets fan from Glenwood Landing. Kranepool’s transplant occurred in what Darras termed a “paired exchange.’’ Barbieri’s husband, Al, a 55-year-old former volunteer firefighter and retired Town of Oyster Bay fire inspector, received a transplant from Oakdale resident Brian Cooney, a Port Authority policeman assigned to LaGuardia Airport. “In your lifetime I guess you're associated, involved with many, many teams,’’ Kranepool said from a wheelchair during a news conference at Stony Brook University Hospital. His wife, Monica, sat teary-eyed in the audience. Kranepool is expected to be released from the hospital Saturday and will be closely monitored by Darras. “I've been lucky to have a great team at home — my wife and family. And also the Met organization," Kranepool said. "I've been with them since 1962. Those are the only two teams I knew up until that time. Now I have an extended team,’’ he said referring to the transplant team, the donors and their families. Deborah Barbieri said she was “surprised’’ upon learning that Kranepool would be the recipient of her kidney. She was not a match for her husband. ‘’I decided to take a shot, go on the list, and it's the best thing I ever did,’’ she said. Subscribe to Newsday’s sports newsletter Receive stories, photos and videos about your favorite New York teams plus national sports news and events. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Her rare A/B blood type was an exact match for Kranepool, Darras said. And the former major-leaguer was fortunate, even though it took two years. “Over 113,000 in the U.S. are awaiting transplants, 8,000 in New York State,’’ Darras said. “Unfortunately, there are not enough organs to get people transplanted.’’ Barbieri’s husband, also a big Mets fan, had been on dialysis for two years. “It's very difficult to sit there with people who are next to you one day and the next day they're not there,’’ Al Barbieri said. “It's usually not a good reason why they're not there. People pass away on dialysis.’’ Referring to Cooney, he said, “Police officers are here in the world today so that firemen can be heroes, too. With this transplant, I'll be able to see my children graduate, I'll be able to go to their weddings. I'll be able to see my grandchildren and that's very special to me.’’ Cooney, 45, said he belonged to the NYPD in 2001 and was a responder during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He said he has had a good life and just wanted to “pay it forward,’’ by helping someone else. He’s a Yankees fan but said he would celebrate Kranepool’s ‘69 team. Darras said dialysis likely would have been the next step for Kranepool. “He has gotten very, very close,’’ he said. “His numbers were at the point, if he didn't get a kidney soon, he was going to be on dialysis. Adding dialysis makes life very rough physically, emotionally.’’ Now, Kranepool is planning a summer of relaxation in the Hamptons and activities related to the reunion the last weekend of June. “You get that call, they saved your life,’’ he said when learning a donor had been found. “It’s like magic. I do feel better already. They say it'll take time for me to feel as good as I can feel. I feel good. I expect to feel better.’’<doc-sep>Former New York Mets player Ed Kranepool speaks during a news conference before a baseball game between the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, Monday, April 22, 2019, in New York. Kranepool announced that a kidney donor has been found for him and that a transplant surgery has been scheduled. (Frank Franklin II/AP)<doc-sep>
Former Met Ed Kranepool underwent kidney transplant surgery on Tuesday at Stony Brook University Hospital, a source said. No information on the procedure or Kranepool’s condition was announced. The source said a press conference is tentatively scheduled at the hospital on Friday. Before the surgery, Kranepool, 74, said he expected to remain hospitalized for up to five days before continuing to recuperate at his residence in Jericho. The surgery was performed by Frank S. Darras, the hospital’s medical director of transplantation services. Kranepool’s wife, Monica, referred all questions to the hospital. “In order to respect patient privacy and confidentiality, there will be no information released related to the case,’’ director of medicine media relations Kali Chan said in an email. Kranepool was expected to be placed on anti-rejection medications and will be monitored by his doctor with frequent post-operative visits. Kranepool has said before the surgery that he expected to be cleared in time to participate in the Mets celebration of the 50th anniversary of the '69 team on June 29 at Citi Field. Kranepool was 17 when he made his Mets debut in 1962 after being signed out of James Monroe High School in the Bronx. He played his entire 18-year career for the Mets and was the first baseman for the 1969 World Championship team. Kranepool had been on a two-year search to find an organ donor after saying his kidney function had dropped to about 20 percent. The search was lengthened as Kranepool had two surgeries for diabetes-related issues. Without a new kidney, his next step likely would have been dialysis. The donor for Kranepool's kidney has not been identified, but Kranepool had said preliminary bloodwork and other testing showed the donor to be an exact match.