Legendary Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins during his NFL career, recently shared an important update as he continues to wait on a liver transplant.
Kosar told News 5 in Cleveland that he is expecting to receive a liver transplant soon. He has moved into an apartment near the hospital to be ready to go whenever he gets the call.
“You know, it looks like it could be any day now,” Bernie Kosar said.
Since speaking out about his need for a liver transplant, Kosar has received an overwhelming amount of support.
He told Fox 8 in Cleveland that he has heard from people throughout the United States and that some are willing to donate part of their liver.
“I want to stay calm and look cool,” Kosar said. “I don’t want to have a tear in my eye, but I want to say to everyone who reached out, who prayed, thank you so much.”
Kosar explored the possibility of receiving a partial liver transplant “but that’s not really in the cards,” he told Fox 8. So he continues to wait to undergo a full liver transplant procedure.
The 61-year-old Kosar has been on a liver transplant list for more than a year. During most of that time, he has stayed relatively healthy thanks to a strict health regimen, according to News 5. However, he recently started experiencing some health struggles.
While Kosar knows that he needs a liver transplant, it is tough for him to know that he could receive one from someone who has a tragedy.
“It’s a tough way to answer that, as you sit here as a guy who, you know, in spiritual healing and wanting to please and help people out and take care of others, to really realize that I’m going to be getting a liver from somebody that really could have a bad accident today, from a psychological standpoint, I don’t wish any ill or issues like that on anybody,” Kosar said. “And to think that that’s kind of what we’re waiting for right now, it’s spiritually conflicting.”
Kosar is currently undergoing surgical procedures every couple of days to remove fluid from his body, according to News 5.
“I fluctuate about 40 pounds through the course of a week. Depending on what day of the week you catch me I could look like a pregnant guy with twins or look like a heavy chemo patient,” he said.
Bernie Kosar has been open about the process of trying to receive a liver transplant in order to keep those who want updates on his health informed.
He has also been open about the heartache another family will have to go through in order for him to receive a transplant.
“Some young person has got to have a bad accident for that to happen, and something tragically is going to happen to a young healthy person, and that part of me is just echoing in my head,” he said. “Unfortunately, when I’m going to be getting transplanted in, the consequences for somebody else was tragic, and I’m not going to take that gift and that honor lightly.”
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