'The power and potency of love'

SANDUSKY — Valentine's Day now has a greater meaning for the Koonce and Robinson families. Richard Koonce, Sandusky High School's college and career readiness coach, girls basketball coach and a former Sandusky Schools board member, will receive a liver transplant from college roommate Steve Robinson on Monday at the Cleveland Clinic. The pair met at Norfolk State University in Virginia, a historically Black university. As they became better friends, Koonce eventually introduced Robinson to his future wife, Natalie, another Norfolk State student. They kept in touch through text messages, phone calls and social networking platforms, but didn't reunite until June 2021, about 20 years after they last saw each other. It was a special visit, and a life-saving one, too. In 2020, Koonce was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disease that affects the liver's bile ducts. Normally, the bile ducts carry digestive liquid bile to the small intestine, but, with the disease, become scarred due to inflammation. The only known cure is a liver transplant, if the disease doesn't return. "It gave us a scare," Koonce said about the diagnosis. "The only options were either a living or deceased donor transplant." The disease can progress slowly, but Koonce and his family sought a living donor as soon as possible. When the Robinson family, who lives in New Jersey, visited last summer, Koonce opened up to Steve about his condition. "My heart dropped instantly," Steve said about learning of Koonce's diagnosis. "I lost a friend before the (Sandusky) visit to a genetic lung disease and I watched him wither away. I thought, 'If there's any way I can help Richard, that's what I can do.' If something happened to him and I could have helped, I would have felt horrible." After Koonce and Robinson found out they shared the same blood type, Robinson thought about his decision. "I feel that you're supposed to help people as much as you can as long as you're not putting yourself out," Robinson said. With approval from Natalie and their children — Jaiyla, Ryann and Kyle — Robinson moved forward with various medical tests and scans. A few months later, in September, Robinson found out he was a match. "It knocked me back a little bit," he said. "This is real; it's like walking on the stage when I did plays." Koonce and his wife, Marion, were at a funeral when Robinson called to share the news. "When he called me, I didn't pick up, so he texted me, and it was confirmation for me to have faith," Koonce said. "I know one of the reasons God chose to connect us and it's the power of love. There's no replacement for love and nothing more important than love. If people understood that, we'd be a much better world. This is a story about how profound God's love is and how love emanates in us and from us." After a recent delay, the surgery was rescheduled for Valentine's Day. "It's a testament to the power and potency of love," Koonce said about the new transplant date. After the surgery, Koonce will need to recover in the hospital for 3-4 weeks, depending on his condition. "My total recovery time is three months off work before I'm able to return," he said. "Doctors told me that I could be fully recovered after six months. "I'm optimistic because I have a friend who took this step; I can't describe it," Koonce said. He'll return to the Cleveland Clinic for a check-up in three months. Stepping up the support Knowing about her colleague's condition, Sandusky High School guidance counselor Babe Sidoti-Palmer wanted to help. "He has been a great colleague and friend," she said about Koonce. "Working closely with him, I have seen his dedication to our students and families, despite what he's been going through. I wanted to help in some capacity, and I knew that others would as well." Initially, Koonce didn't want to tell others about his condition, but Sidoti-Palmer convinced him to be vulnerable. "She said 'other people care about you, and I'd like to let them know it and about how awesome this whole thing is,'" Koonce said. "It touched me that she said that and it shows the love she has for me." "She's a good soul," Robinson said about Sidoti-Palmer, who he recently met. "As my mom said, there's more good people in the world than bad." Since Sidoti-Palmer set up a GoFundMe page earlier this week, more than $7,600 has been raised, as of Friday evening, by community members for ongoing medical expenses for both families. "It has been amazing how not only our local community has come together, but that this story has touched people on a national level because it's such a touching story of love, friendship and selflessness," Sidoti-Palmer said. "It has impacted me greatly professionally and personally as a reminder that we never know the battle someone is fighting." Koonce and Robinson hope that, through their story, people are inspired to become organ donors. "My neighbor reminded me that sharing my story might influence someone so that 'you can save another life along with your friend's,'" Robinson said. "I hope whoever sees this story, they think of love and the power of God and to me, God is love," Koonce said. Want to help? To assist the Koonce and Robinson families, search for "Prayers for Dr. Richard Koonce" at GoFundMe.com. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood