Director of Campus Services Mark Stacy and Stores and Mail Room Supervisor Chris Swift have been nearly lifelong friends. The two met in the 90s as students at SUNY Brockport working at Trax, later built careers in the Division of Administration and Finance at the University, and eventually stood next to each other at their weddings.
“He’s my Superman.”
Chris Swift
So, when Swift became critically ill due to polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and was nearing dialysis in 2025, Stacy donated a kidney to him.
“He’s my Superman,” Swift said.
Without telling Swift, Stacy called the transplant center and began the testing process to see if they were a match — hoping to save his best friend’s life.
After five months of testing, he got the good news.
“Step after step, it was like ‘You’re good,’ ‘You’re good,’ ‘You’re good,’” Stacy said. “It was literally a miracle.”
During their annual March Madness trip with friends, Swift received a text from his nurse that a potential donor was nearly through the process. He immediately shared the update with Stacy, at which point he finally revealed that he was the donor.
“We both started crying,” Stacy said. “He told me he loved me like 3,000 times.”
Leaning on the Brockport community for support, an email was sent to faculty and staff asking for leave donations as the two eagerly awaited the surgery scheduled for July 23, 2025. The response was overwhelming — so many colleagues contributed that some donations ultimately had to be returned because they weren’t needed.
“There’s a lot of good people in the world and Brockport is full of them.”
Chris Swift
“There’s a lot of good people in the world and Brockport is full of them,’ Swift said. “Before my surgery, so many people stopped in my office to just give me a hug and send me notes to say they’re thinking of me.”
Before the procedure, Stacy planned a meaningful surprise — matching Superman T-shirts for the two of them, inspired by his love for the superhero.
“The symbol stands for hope, love, and doing the right thing,” Stacy said. “He was in the room right next to me before surgery. When I passed by, he lifted his sweatshirt to reveal his Superman shirt, and I was totally at ease. I knew everything was going to be fine.”
After surgery, the pair encouraged one another throughout recovery. It began with short daily walks together around the hospital floor and continued after they returned home. The two stayed connected through constant texts, FaceTime’s, and phone calls that kept them updated through every stage of recovery.
“Every day, I’m just rewarded by seeing him. That is the greatest gift to me.”
Mark Stacy
“We talked ten to twelve times a day,” Stacy said. “He would tell me his kidney numbers, how he was going to get bloodwork, but when he came back, it was special.”
Three months later, after a full recovery, the two were reunited back where they first met – SUNY Brockport.
“Every day, I’m just rewarded by seeing him,” Stacy said. “That is the greatest gift to me.”