Boy getting kidney transplant feared he’d never play baseball—hospital’s unique operation gave him a joyful surprise
Sometimes, the biggest victories aren’t won on the field, but in life itself. For many young athletes, sports are more than just a game — they’re a source of identity, purpose, and healing. And behind every uniform, there’s often a story of personal challenge and quiet strength. A 16-year-old Sam Heintz from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of those stories. A first baseman for the Southside Strikers and a member of the East Grand Rapids school team, Sam has always had baseball in his blood. “We're kind of a baseball family,” he said, recalling that his dad played softball and his uncle once coached. But at just 5 years old, while on a family trip to see the Mets and Tigers during spring training, Sam’s life changed in an instant. “The next day, I just woke up very, very sick,” he shared with WZZM13 News.
After returning home, Sam was rushed to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, where his condition was labeled critical. “They basically said we're headed up to ICU,” said his mother, Alicia. “You need to call all your family.” Sam was diagnosed with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). According to the American Kidney Fund, aHUS is a very rare disease that causes tiny blood clots to form in the small blood vessels of the body. These clots can block blood flow to organs like the kidneys, leading to serious damage or even kidney failure. Fewer than 625 people in the U.S. have it, and it’s more likely to occur if a close family member also has the condition. According to another report by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hemolytic uremic syndrome affects approximately 2 out of every 100,000 children in the U.S., with children younger than the age of 5 being more prone to this disease.
Sam spent 30 days in the hospital and began years of treatment and dialysis. At age eight, he was placed on the transplant list and matched with a donor just three months later. But Alicia, knowing her son was a left-handed batter, had a special request — to place the new kidney on the left side of his body instead of the usual right, to protect it while he played. The surgical team agreed. “They said that’s never been a request before,” Alicia shared. Cristina Brini, a physician assistant in pediatric nephrology at the hospital, mentioned how the request was extremely valid: "If you're left-handed and you have the bat up, you don't want to be exposed to where all of these balls are coming at you at 100 miles per hour."
Seven years later, Sam is doing well and playing the sport he loves. He continues to take medication but lives life like any other teen. “I don't think I would have been able to function without playing baseball,” he said. His coach for the Southside Strikers, Brian Krosschell, calls him “a blessing to the team,” noting not just Sam’s skill but his leadership. In an emotional twist, Krosschell’s wife, Tara, was once Sam’s nurse during treatment. Now, as Sam enters his junior year of high school, his mom hopes his journey can inspire others. “I needed to see a kid who had a kidney transplant seven years ago. I needed to see him thriving and doing good and just living a normal life. This is important to me to get his story out and to see that he's just living a very normal life,” Alicia said. Sam’s message for others is also simple but powerful: “Anything is possible, really.”
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