Herman, a marketing alumnus and former Chanticleer football player, and his wife, Kristen, welcomed their baby boy Jackson on Oct. 15, 2022. On the very next day, their lives took a devastating turn when Kristen went into severe sepsis. Over time, this caused her heart function to drop to a mere 10%, and it led to the loss of both her kidneys.

The Herman family was in dire need of a kidney transplant for Kristen. Unfortunately, her chances of finding a suitable donor were extremely limited due to the high antibodies she developed from numerous blood transfusions during her medical treatment.

“We reached out to as many people as possible in the hopes of finding a suitable kidney match for Kristen,” said Michael. “During that time, the Coastal Carolina Football team, the team I used to play for, made a few social media posts to help out. When Coastal Carolina shared our story, it went out to thousands of people.”

That’s when Jackie McClure, a CCU student double majoring in marketing and management, stepped up. Without even knowing the Herman family, she took immediate action and filled out the paperwork to test for kidney donation.

“Jackie is one of the kindest people you could ever meet. A true hero,” said Michael. “The testing process for a kidney donation is very timely with a lot of different steps. Jackie was incredibly prompt and in constant contact with Jefferson University Hospital to make sure she was ready for the next step.”

In December 2023, the Hermans got a phone call that there was a perfect match from the deceased donor list, and they jumped at the opportunity.

“Kristen’s new kidney started working immediately and already feels 100% better,” said Michael. “We are truly blessed with this gift. But I don’t want Jackie’s heroic actions to go unrecognized. The overwhelming support from my alma mater means the world to us. When Jackie reached out and said she was in the process of testing, we were so overjoyed with emotion. We felt so thankful that a young college student we never met was willing to donate. Jackie is truly an angel.”

Jackie said: “In my eyes, what I did was not a big deal at all. It’s what anyone should do when someone needs help.”

The Hermans strongly encourage Teal Nation to consider kidney donation.

“We would love to share the fact you can live a completely normal life with one kidney,” said Michael. “Currently there are over 100,000 people waiting to receive a kidney. By donating, you wouldn’t just be helping the recipient but their family as well. A common misconception is that you must be related to donate, when, in reality, anyone could be a match. We also encourage people to add organ donor on their driver’s license because even after they are gone, they can still give the gift of life. We were fortunate enough to receive a perfect match from a deceased donor.”

Kristen served in the Army on active duty from 2007-2015 as Army intelligence. She then commissioned to be a nurse while in the reserves and graduated from Holy Redeemer in Philadelphia, Pa. She worked as a nurse up until she went into kidney failure.

The Hermans live in Mullica Hill, N.J., with their daughter, Haley, and son, Jackson.

By Kristyn Winch, University Marketing and Communication