Heartache to Home Plate: Sal’s Story
Image courtesy of Philadelphia Phillies
Growing up, Sal watched his father battle Polycystic Kidney Disease, a genetic disorder that causes cysts to grow in the kidneys causing strain on many other organs. The beach town of Brigantine became his sanctuary, a place where he could escape the harsh realities of his family’s medical struggles.
It was there that he met his wife and created cherished memories with his children during summer vacations, a place that made it easier to face his father’s deterioration.
But fate had other plans for Sal. The same debilitating disease that afflicted his father had also taken root in his own body. At first, Sal refused to accept this new reality knowing the implications that followed like his fathers battle; he lived in denial. It wasn't until Sal’s heart attack struck that he was forced to confront the gravity of his situation. The road ahead was far from easy. Sal encountered grueling hospital routines while facing stringent criteria to qualify for the heart and kidney transplant list. Just when it seemed all hope was lost, Sal's wife Lisa stepped in as his unwavering advocate.
Her refusal to give up led them to a referral to Temple Health, where a life-changing turn of events awaited.
Within a week of their referral to Temple Health, Sal found himself on the heart and kidney transplant list and awaited his surgery that would soon be the light at the end of the tunnel. In 2023, Sal received a new heart and kidney, waking up to a tapping on his chest and the words “you did it, your heart is in”. With renewed energy and zest for life, he's rediscovered the joys of family time on the Brigantine beach. He's taken up hiking and embraced a multitude of activities that were once beyond his reach. As a lifelong Phillies fan, Sal was asked to throw the first pitch at “I Heart Phillies Night” as a Temple Health representative. Our team celebrated with Sal as the entire stadium watched his story unfold on the jumbotron, brought to life through our video collaboration with Temple Health.
Images courtesy of Philadelphia Phillies and Temple Health
Crafting Sal's story presented a unique challenge. Typically when working on patient stories, we only have one day to try and tell the entirety of a person’s life. This is never easy. People are complex and have many people and places that are critical to their stories. For Sal, it would have been impossible to tell his story without paying a visit to Brigantine, NJ—the backdrop of his marriage, family home, and cherished memories. We eagerly and carefully balanced our schedule to include the round-trip drive, interviews with Sal and his wife, and filming b-roll family scenes, all while capturing the essence of his life within our limited timeframe.
“It is always important to tell stories like Sal’s” 20/20 producer Rob Czyzewicz says. “Many of our videos put us in positions where we have to ask every day people to trust us with telling a story about a very vulnerable time in their lives. One of our main focuses (at 20/20) is to reassure people that we’re going to do it authentically, with compassion for what they went through, and with a message of hope that can inspire and educate other people”. Sal’s story teaches us the importance of facing our challenges head-on, the power of unwavering support from loved ones, and the miracles that can happen when we refuse to give up.
Learn more about Sal’s story through our video collaboration with Temple Health here:
The 20/20 Visual Media Team enjoyed cheering on Sal at the “I Heart Phillies” Night in July, 2024