At approximately 3 am on January 1, 2020, former Super Bowl champion and Ravens defensive tackle Lional Dalton awoke feeling short of breath. 

“My blood pressure was at a stroke level and my oxygen level was really low,” Dalton said in an interview with FanNation, “so, we took an ambulance to the hospital. We were probably there for about two to three weeks, and they ended up telling me I had kidney disease.” It was already advanced, and his kidneys had stopped functioning.

Dalton, 46, spent nine years in the NFL before retiring due to a spinal injury. Now he is receiving dialysis nearly five hours a day, three days a week. When he’s not in dialysis, Dalton and his family are working to raise awareness about kidney disease and end stigmas and fears surrounding organ donation. 

“I’m trying to get information out to…people,” he said, in the hope that his efforts encourage more kidney donations, to help others in his condition. He and his family also remain hopeful that he, too, will “get a blessing.”

Even when healthy kidneys are available, not all those in need are eligible to receive one. Blood tests, X-rays, tissue and blood typing, and an EKG are just some of the tests done to make sure that a potential recipient is both a good match for an available kidney, and healthy enough to withstand the surgery and make a strong recovery.

When Dalton retired, he weighed 315 pounds. His kidney doctors recommended losing weight, so Dalton revamped his diet–eating small meals just once or twice a day–and his exercise routine. He lost 110 pounds.

While waiting for a good organ match, Dalton kept up with dialysis, advocated through his Twitter account and personal website New Kidney for Jellyroll, gave interviews, and spent quality time with his family. Living in limbo was a challenge, but he tried to remain optimistic. “You have good days and bad days,” he said. “Like my coach tells me, one play at a time. One day at a time.”

Dalton’s efforts have finally paid off. On August 26, he underwent a successful, life-saving transplant at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. That morning he tweeted his gratitude not only to his donor but to everyone who helped spread the word about his condition and dire need. 

“My donor is truly a hero,” he wrote, “but you all are the reason he heard of my story.” He also asked people to pray for his deceased donor’s family, “who after a tragedy still made the decision to save a life.”

Strackbein, N. (2021, Aug. 4). Former Ravens DT Lionel Dalton in Search of a Kidney. FanNation. https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/allsteelers-plus/baltimore-ravens-lional-dalton-search-kidney  Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens