Humble Garwood Hero, Daughter Donates Kidney To Save Mom's Life

GARWOOD, NJ — Growing up lifelong Garwood resident Kelly Bergin "believed heroes were big and strong with flashy costumes." It just so happens that Bergin knew a hero her entire life.

Bergin shared a bedroom, fought over clothes or over who can use the phone, with the real hero — her eldest sister Tracy Bergin-Kessock, who donated her kidney to save their mother's life.

"Our hero wasn't in flashy colors or costumes, our hero was disguised as a selfless, beautiful, humble: daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother of four," Bergin said. "Our hero, selflessly gave her kidney to save our mom from a life of dialysis or possibly worse. She gave so our mom can have a new lease on life. She gave so mommy could live."

Longtime Garwood resident, Margaret (Peggy) Bergin — mother of Kelly, Tracy and Karen — was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in 2010. This past February, Peggy went into kidney failure and was hospitalized.

"When we found out a living donor would be her best option, we just signed up. We never had a second thought in our minds. We have to help mommy," Bergin-Kessock said.

As luck would have it Bergin-Kessock was almost an exact match to her mother. The match is so close and so rare, that it is only really seen in twins.

"It was meant to be," said Bergin.

"It was an awesome feeling to know I will be able to save mommy's life," Bergin-Kessock said. "She's our mom and she brought me into this world. It is only fair I keep her here. She is an amazing woman."

Bergin-Kessock and her mother underwent the successful transplant surgery on Aug. 26 and both are recovering well.

Afterward, Bergin purchased bracelets for her mother and sisters to forever chronicle this experience.

Bergin also reached out to Garwood Mayor Sara Todisco to have a letter read at the Aug. 27 council meeting about her sister's heroic actions.

"I hereby proclaim, that Tracy Bergin-Kessock 'although who would adamantly disagree', is in fact a hero, a small town big heart kinda hero. She is our hero!" Kelly Bergin wrote.

Bergin-Kessock, who is very humble, did not expect the recognition.

"If anything this experience had brought my sisters and I closer together," Bergin-Kessock said. "Growing up we fought and I didn't hang out with them since I was older. I didn't know they admired me. I didn't know they felt that way about me. As close as we all are, I didn't know they looked up to me the way they do."

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