Former Dolphins Star Saves Daughter’s Life
Miami Dolphins legend Sam Madison was known to be a shutdown corner for nine of his twelve season while playing for the Fins. These days, the Dolphins TV analyst is locking down another defender.
Just last December his daughter, Kennedy, was having health issues while at gymnast practice and after a visit to the doctor’s office she was diagnosed with failing kidneys.
That’s when Sam and his wife Saskia quickly jumped into action.
As the family continued to battle, Sam received a phone call that was proven to be a game changer. He was a perfect donor match for his daughter.
Early September, Sam and Kennedy went into surgery before her eleventh birthday and it was the best gift a father could ever give his daughter.
In Sam’s career, he had endured ten surgeries, but this was the first one he looked forward too because this was a gift that he hopes that will continue to give.
In an exclusive interview with CBS Miami, Sam and Saskia expressed their concerns for Kennedy’s life.
“You sit here and like… it’s serious business," said Sam. “We have to do something that she gets back healthy.”
“You wanna crash, but you can’t because there is work to be done,” added Saskia.
Over the course of Kennedy’s dialysis and treatments, Saskia and Kennedy launched a blog titled “Kennedy Chronicle” which helps share the family’s experiences in hope that it will help others who are dealing with similar circumstances.
“I learned that sharing my feelings and sharing my experiences helps other people,” said Saskia. “I thought this could, one, lighten the emotional load for Kennedy.”
Since the transplant, Sam and Kennedy have recovered well. Unfortunately, due to Kennedy’s recovery, she is not permitted to be around crowds and is receiving home-schooling.
But the gleam in her eyes has returned.
“Now I’m doing piano at home and I hope to do some more sports, and I want to do karate,” said a vibrant Kennedy. “I want to try everything.”
“To be able to pass something on, it felt really good,” said Sam. “I knew it was going to help her live a healthy, successful life.”