Striking the right chord: How a kidney transplant changed a local musician's life

Jason Adamo was making pasta in the kitchen for his kids, when he received the call of a lifetime. He got a kidney donor.

Adamo was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease back in 2011, which is a genetic disorder that causes many fluid-filled cysts to grow in your kidneys, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

With time ticking, Adamo knew he had to get treatment.

“I was told I could wait up to seven years with type O negative blood ,” he said.

With his career taking off as a musician, Adamo spoke out on an Instagram post surrounding his situation. A little over a month passed when he was connected by his neighbor's friend Jenna Kovachich, who has been on the donor list since October 2021.

“I previously worked at Ronald McDonald House and we had a lot of children who were listed for transplants, so it was always something I thought I would want to do, but you know life gets in the way and there's always a million excuses why it's not a good time. And finally during the pandemic I wasn't traveling for work, lived really close to Duke, a great transplant center, so then I thought now is the time to do it” Kovachich said.

Several tests later, they were set for surgery on April 24, 2023. Just eight days before the surgery, doctors discovered his body would reject the kidney.

“That was devastating, without hesitation, Jenna just said what's the next step” Adamo said.

Through the exchange, Kovachich was able to donate her kidney to a man in Colorado, and Adamo found his donor all the way from Denmark.

Six months after the surgery, Adamo says he can now keep up with his kids.

“So much more energetic, being able to get down on the floor with them and play with them is amazing, they're going to hear this story throughout their lives definitely” he said.

March is National Kidney Month, a global campaign to raise awareness of the value of kidneys and to lower the rate, implications, and related health issues of kidney diseases. Kovachich encourages those interested in donating to look into their local transplant center and to talk to specialists about the process. “Just knowing I was able to help in some way was really special and Jason has become a really good friend, we've met each other's extended families and it's just been really special”, Kovachich said.