NHL’s Ryan O’Reilly’s Mom Donates Kidney to Hockey Rink Manager Who Let Her Sons Skate Extra Hours Growing Up
Good news! Bonnie Reilly, mother of NHL forward Ryan O’Reilly, has donated a kidney to Graham Nesbitt, a local hockey arena manager in Seaforth, Ontario, helping to save his life. Nesbitt, now 65, has Berger’s disease, an ailment that limits the kidneys ability to filter blood over time. in 2019 it became clear that he needed a a new kidney and had an outpouring of offers from the local community.
Bonnie O’Reilly was one member of the community that was identified as a match for the transplant. Bonnie happily obliged, citing Nesbitt’s willingness to open the rink for her boys to skate early hours, late hours, or on snow days. He would do these favors for all kids in the area and has established himself as a local hockey legend in Seaforth. Bonnie’s selfless actions are considered a “gift of a lifetime” by Nesbitt and shows the family like nature of the small hockey town of Seaforth Ontario.
Source: CBC
