Organ donor saves a life, starts a friendship between families

Editor's note: This is the eighth in a series of articles from the Dexter Daily Statesman focusing on special needs of special children.

By SCOTT KRUSE and NOREEN HYSLOP

Dexter Daily Statesman

In many ways it was a typical September St. Louis Cardinals home game. The Padres were in town, and Busch Stadium had that special feeling only found in the early fall. But very few in the stadium knew just how special this night was for two families in attendance.

On Sept. 15, 2003, John and Stacy Pikey from New Madrid lost their 7-year-old daughter, Sydney, in a tragic accident. During the grieving process that followed, the family gained comfort in the knowledge that two other children were given a better quality of life through the couple's decision to donate Sydney's organs.

An organization named "Sydney's Santa" was soon created to keep Sydney's memory alive and to honor her by providing toys for children who otherwise might not have a bright holiday. The group also raised awareness for the gift of life that organ donation delivers. Sometime after Sydney's death, Stacy Pikey received a call from Michelle Frankiewicz. Michelle told Stacy Pikey that her son, Kyle Cortilet, had been a recipient of Sydney's lungs. Her son had suffered from cystic fibrosis and the transplant had saved his life.

The women talked by phone periodically, but it was nearly two years before it was realized there was something else they had in common. They both lived in Missouri and were less than a three-hour drive apart. Kyle and his family lived in Manchester outside of St. Louis.

When Kyle turned 13, he asked for one special gift -- he wanted the families to meet so that he could thank the Pikeys in person. That gift was granted in an emotional meeting four years ago. It would be the first of many gatherings of the two families. They formed a relationship, a bond of friendship built on pain, triumph, hope, love, and a gift given by a little girl named Sydney.

Over the years, the families met on a regular basis, serving as a comfort to one another. They would organize summer trips to Busch Stadium to watch Cardinal baseball games. These trips provided fun for both families -- a way to celebrate life together in a special place. For the Pikeys, it was a consistent reminder of the gift their daughter had given, first to a young man and his family, and secondly, to the Pikeys themselves in the form of this friendship.

Kyle was 11 when he received the transplant. He grew into a fun-loving teenager, and this year he entered school as a senior.

But during the summer months of 2010, Kyle's body began to reject the lungs that had sustained him for the past seven years. He went into the hospital and was placed on oxygen. Doctors told the family there was nothing more they could do. Kyle's condition was terminal, and not even an angel named Sydney could save him any longer. Kyle was dying.

The families, it seemed, now needed each other more than ever.

As Kyle's condition quickly declined and his lung capacity approached a mere 15 percent, he refused further treatments, said no to oxygen, and would absolutely not use the help of a wheelchair or other aides. He did, however, make a request. He wished for one more trip to Busch Stadium to see his beloved Cardinals play ball.

In stepped the Dexter-based charity, 18 Fore Life. The organization usually supports families suffering from the mental and physical expenses that accompany a cancer diagnosis. Although Kyle's story presented a different set of needs, upon hearing it the group immediately went to work.

With a phone call to friends and supporters at The Bank of Advance, the charity and business sponsor found a way to reserve 14 seats in a corporate suite at Busch Stadium along with a full buffet with all the fixings. Martin Coco, Director of Alumni Relations, arranged for the group to go down on the field during batting practice and requested Fred Bird come up to the Suite to add to the atmosphere.

Kyle invited family and friends from school. John and Stacy Pikey, their son, Drew, and a few others from the Pikey family drove up, and just as they had done in the past, they visited and talked as the Cardinals took care of business on the field.

Kyle didn't feel he could physically make it down to the field. "I want my friends to go. I just want to stay up here and visit," he said.

Kyle's friends rubbed shoulders with hitting coach and baseball legend Mark McGwire and others, posing for pictures and getting a load of autographs. David Eckstein, now a member of the visiting Padres but a former Cardinal, was also a big part of the special night. Eckstein, who has a family history of kidney failures and is a big promoter of organ donations, spotted Drew Pikey. Eckstein had once made a commercial with Kyle and was familiar with the story. He knew Drew's late sister, Sydney, was responsible for Kyle's borrowed time. Eckstein had also worked with Sydney's Santa to raise money and awareness, so there was plenty to visit about on this occasion.

Kyle's lung capacity has diminished over the past month, and he spends most days at home. Periodically, though, he is able to attend his high school senior classes and visit with friends.

He said he values every moment he can spend with those friends and his family, and the family of Sydney as well. The two families, each touched deeply through a little girl lost too soon, remain close.

On the field that September day, the Cardinals entertained their fans with a big win. Up in a corporate suite, two families shared precious time and celebrated life together. In 2003, Sydney Pikey gave Kyle seven years of life, of which his mother says, "These have been the best seven years we could have asked for. Kyle played racquetball. We went to the Grand Canyon -- all because of little Sydney."