Kidney Recipient Meets Organ Donor Who Gifted Him His Future
Ann Marie Hassett of Coram, NY, selflessly donated her kidney to a complete stranger, and on July 10, she met the recipient — Scott Scannell of Nesconset, NY — for the first time at Stony Brook University Hospital.
The life-saving bond between two Long Islanders was celebrated along with their families and Stony Brook Medicine’s Frank Darras, MD, medical director of transplantation services, and kidney transplant surgeon Adam Kressel, MD.
“I don’t see myself as a hero,” Hassett said. “I believe I was simply meant to help this person. I’ve lived a full life — running marathons, competing in triathlons, finishing an Ironman, volunteering as a firefighter at Coram Fire Department, and teaching chemistry for 22 years at Newfield in Selden. I just wanted to give someone else the chance to live their life fully, too.”
The only previous contact between Hassett and Scannell was a letter from Hassett given to Scannell while he was in the hospital.
The 61-year-old Scannell needed an organ transplant to treat his polycystic kidney disease, diagnosed 10 years ago after he noticed blood in his urine. Scannell’s children were unable to donate, as they tested positive for the same disease.
He was placed on the transplant list for three years, and beginning in May 2024, he underwent dialysis three days a week, four hours a day for almost a year. After his family saw the way the treatment affected him, they stepped in to try and find him a donor match. They created a Facebook post and distributed flyers, leading to a News 12 news segment that aired Christmas Eve. In January, their prayers were answered when they received a call about a potential donor who had seen their story online.
Hassett had heard about the urgent need for organ donors and the struggles they faced and wanted to help. She saw Scannell’s story in a random email.
The 56-year-old had some initial hesitation, as her family did not want her to donate, but she went ahead anyway and was a matched candidate for Scannell. Hassett underwent surgery on April 22 and faced challenges with recovery, particularly back pain, but maintained a positive outlook, viewing the surgery as an opportunity to change someone’s life.
Scannell underwent his life-saving kidney transplant at Stony Brook University Hospital in April.
“The entire transplant team was incredible,” said Scannell. “They turned what could have been a difficult, even frightening, experience into something positive. I’m so grateful to the team at Stony Brook.”
“We’re fortunate sometimes that we have altruistic donors, people that step up on their own to donate a kidney,” Dr. Darras said at the press conference at Stony Brook University Hospital. “That’s what this story is about. What we do is give them the opportunity to give to someone else.”
Scannell said he is grateful for his newfound freedom since receiving his transplant. The contractor says he now has more energy after transitioning away from dialysis and making lifestyle changes, including maintaining a healthier diet. He has even been able to once again enjoy activities like fly fishing and is planning future trips, like spending time in Montauk during the summer and visiting Florida with his family. He is excited to get back to enjoying life with his wife, Karen, and their three children, Scotty, Michele and Christy.
“She saved my life and my family’s — made us whole again,” said Scannell. “She’s a miracle worker, an angel. Thanks to her, I got my life back.”