North Attleboro football league steps up to get coach a kidney transplant

By Mike Sullivan, WBZ-TV

NORTH ATTLEBORO - It's a life-saving donation from an unexpected place. A North Attleboro pop warner coach can thank his league for a new lease on life.

Bruce Pugh has been coaching in North Attleboro for 15 years. Football helped him become the first person in his family to go to college. While playing in college, he sustained a knee injury. During testing doctors discovered he had a kidney disease.

"At that point some 12 years ago, they said you will at some point need a kidney transplant," explained Pugh. "The only thing I think about is the end game, and that's what challenges me from a mental perspective. Will I be around long enough to watch my kids graduate?"

Recently he started growing tired more easily, which is a sign that he is getting closer to needing a transplant. When news hit the football league, the administrators put out an all call asking for donors. More than 130 people got tested.

"It's not asking for a GoFundMe donation. You are asking for somebody's organ," smiled North Attleboro Junior Football Secretary Leslee Murphy.

"I expect my family to get tested, but I had over 130 plus people step up and get tested," Pugh said in awe.

Pugh is an O blood type, which makes it harder for him to find a donor match. Of the more than 130 people who got tested, no one came up as a match.

"Doctor said I would only match 30% of the people out there," tells Pugh.

Doctors suggested he try for a donor swap. It's a four-way kidney trade. Bruce and a friend match and swap kidneys with another person in need and their healthy friend.

"I always say to the kids you are going to face adversity, tough situations, how you respond is everything," answered Pugh.

His friend Bill McDavitt was one of the 130 people who got tested. He turned out to be a match for another person in need. That person's friend happened to be a 100% match for Bruce.

"It feels incredible," said McDavitt on being able to save two lives at once. "Originally, I went in, and I was one of the first people that was tested [for Pugh]. Cross match didn't work."

"He is giving me a kidney, and all I am saying is 'Thank you.' It's not a fair trade," laughed Pugh. "He didn't even think about it. It was like me asking for a stick of gum."

Soon the four of them will got to Beth Israel Hospital for the swap.

"I am anticipating a feeling that I don't remember ever having because I have had this disease all of my life," Pugh said. "I thought the way I felt, the way my body treated me, is the way I am, but apparently there is more to me. Getting this kidney, I will get to see who the real Bruce is."