Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Local physician gives gift of life to White Sox owner

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4088.

Lttle did Chicago White Sox vice chairman Eddie Einhorn know that when he became violently ill and went to the emergency room at Valley Hospital during Big League Weeekend in March 1993 that he would find a friend for life.

And one who would ultimately save his.

Einhorn, who along with his former Northwestern law school classmate Jerry Reinsdorf purchased the White Sox in 1981, had attended the Academy Awards in Hollywood before joining the White Sox for their spring training outing at Cashman Field when he became ill.

Although the Oscars will give anybody a case of indigestion, this was worse.

"I walked into the hospital and I was treated by Dr. Julian Lopez, who was interning there," Einhorn said.

Lopez treated Einhorn for acute pancreatitis. He hooked him up to an IV and told him to make sure he had a thorough check-up when he returned to Chicago.

Einhorn responded to the fluids and, feeling much better, invited Lopez to join him at Cashman for the Sox game. The two immediately hit it off and became good friends.

How good?

Well, when Einhorn was diagnosed with kidney disease last year, one of the first people he heard from was Lopez, who besides comforting Einhorn, also made him an offer that made even Lou Brock-for-Ernie Broglio seem inconsequential.

Lopez offered Einhorn one of his kidneys.

"He said, 'I've got two and you need one. I want to do this,' " said Einhorn, 67, over a cornflakes and orange juice breakfast at the Luxor coffee shop Tuesday.

"I said 'Julian, you know I'm not strong enough to say no.' "

That was seven months ago. Today, the transplant a success, it's not an exaggeration to say that Einhorn owes his life to Lopez.

"My wife and kids were not matches and my brother has high blood pressure," Einhorn said of the prospect of going on a donor list for a suitable kidney -- not to mention the tedious dialysis treatments that awaited in the interim. "It's very unusual to have a non-related live donor."

Einhorn shook his head, struggling to find the right words to express his gratitude to his friend.

"The whole thing, just the timing and everything, was a miracle," he said. "This man saved my life. I mean, what can you do, how do you say thank-you for something like that?"

Einhorn remains stumped on how to repay Lopez, so he has decided on little tokens of his appreciation. Such as this column. I mean, I'm sure there have been other times when the owner of a major league baseball franchise has called out of the blue to invite me to breakfast, although frankly, I can't seem to remember them.

Einhorn spent virtually all of the past four days hanging out with Lopez. They went to the K-1 fights, caught comedian Paul Rodriguez's show and took in Tuesday night's 51s-Edmonton game. About the only time they weren't together was at breakfast Tuesday, because Einhorn said if Lopez knew somebody wanted to make a big deal about what he had done, he probably would have declined.

In fact, when I called him for this column, he had to be nudged before sharing his thoughts on what is understandably a personal and emotional matter.

"He is a friend of mine and his health was deteriorating," said Lopez, who now has a private practice. "I told him I was not going to let him die or suffer any longer.

"As physicians, this is what we do. We live to make a difference. Sometimes it's not about having the most money or the fastest car. Sometimes we have to make personal sacrifices, to reach out to those less fortunate."

But reaching out with a vital organ? That's a form of the act that not even the Four Tops could imagine.

For a guy like Einhorn, time is more valuable than money. So he plans to share all he can with his friend.

Lopez, who received the White Sox's Roland Hemond award for humanitarianism, is a huge Oakland Raiders fan, so Einhorn took him to the Super Bowl.

"It had to be the first time that two identical kidneys arrived at the Super Bowl in different bodies," Einhorn said.

When the White Sox host the All-Star Game in July, Lopez and his family will be there, as Einhorn's guests.

While I'm sure there are guys who would say they would trade a vital organ for a couple of box seats to the All-Star Game, let's see them do it for real.

Lopez did. Only he didn't ask for tickets, or anything else in return.

But what he received can't be bought. Not even by George Steinbrenner. It's worth more than all the tea in China, more valuable than Barry Bonds, more priceless than anything in a Visa commercial.

He has the satisfaction of giving a friend his life back.

"His best present to me is just seeing how much better he is doing," Lopez said. "It's unbelievable, how dramatic the changes in his health have been since the operation. That's the satisfaction I get."

Nothing against Magglio Ordonez, but on Einhorn's lineup card, Lopez will always bat cleanup.

"I don't know what you call what this man did for me," he said. "But I'm sure there will be a special place for him, because he's a true hero."

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