A Lehighton native has already received perhaps the greatest gift of all in the form of a kidney transplant.

But, as recently as last year, things looked rather bleak for Mike Strohl.

Strohl, who grew up on North Fourth Street, was born with only one kidney, and over time it wore out.

He was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease after he found out he only had one kidney at the age of 31.

“After years of decline, I reached end stage kidney disease in 2022,” Strohl said. “At that time, I was referred to the Transplant Center at UPMC Harrisburg.”

Strohl, who now lives in Mechanicsburg, said he began testing in February, and was placed on the transplant list at the end of March.

“After my wife, Melissa, created a Facebook post indicating I needed a kidney, several people wanted to get tested as possible donors,” said Strohl, 53.

Among those, Strohl said, were his older brother, Bobby, along with his sister-in-law and her daughter.

A saving grace

Ironically, Strohl, a 1988 graduate of Lehighton Area High School, didn’t have to look very far at all.

It turns out Laura Woltz, who lives nine houses away from him on Ridge Hill Road and is his co-worker at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Carlisle, was the first to call the Transplant Center, as well as the first to be tested.

Strohl, who works as a Medical Laboratory Technician, said, “There were many emotions.”

“Disbelief, because the average wait time for a kidney is six years and the odds of a random match are not great,” he said. “Also excitement and happiness knowing I would not have to do dialysis.”

At 10 weeks post-transplant, Strohl said he feels “very good” and has returned to work.

“There is still a lifetime of anti-rejection medication and many blood draws and appointments, but I am hopeful for a long, normal life,” he said.

Woltz, who works as an oncology RN, found out in June that she was a match.

“It was just like I saw his wife’s post on Facebook and right away without hesitancy, I said ‘yes’,” Woltz said. “I gave her my information; it wasn’t until probably about a month after that.”

Woltz said she didn’t think twice about it.

“Maybe because I have a caring personality, and meeting him at work and knowing that we work together,” she said. “There was a history of kidney transplants in my family, two of my cousins received transplants going back to the 1990s, and my dad, he had a history of diabetes, would have needed a kidney, but he passed away (in October 1999) before he was able to see if he was able to be on the list, so maybe that played a role in it; no definite reason why.

“I just know that I know that I had no hesitancy to say yes. I was at piece with everything.”

Woltz, 39, said she returned to work within eight weeks, and Strohl in 10 weeks.

“I have no restrictions, no dietary restrictions,” she said. “I feel completely normal; recovery went really well and smooth for both of us.

“I’m just so thankful everything is going well for us, and that things are especially going so well for Mike with his new kidney. I would do it all over again if I could.

“I was very pleased with the process and the support of the staff at the transplant department.”

Strohl, married with two stepchildren and three grandsons, said he’s forever indebted to Woltz.

“Laura and her family are the kindest, most generous and caring people I know,” he said. “Doctors Yang, Ladie, Gupta, Syed and all the staff at the Transplant Center were/are awesome.”