Under normal circumstances, a Chiefs fans and an Eagles fans would be sitting on opposite sidelines when it came to Super Bowl 2023.
In the case of John Gladwell and Billy Welsh, a pair of U.S. marine veterans who serves together 20 year ago, they’ll make an exception.
Two years ago, Kansas City Chiefs fan John donated his kidney to Eagles fan Welsh in a 10-hour procedure, strengthening the bond made in the Marines. On Sunday, they’ll to through another unlikely experience together: watching their favorite teams go head-to-head for the Lombardi trophy in Arizona.
“It meant the world to me. I was speechless. John Gladwell is my hero,” Welsh said in an appearance with his pal on “TODAY” on Wednesday.
Gladwell and Welsh have remained up-to-date on each other’s lives since serving via Facebook, but didn’t actually speak to one another again until the fall of 2019 when Welsh encountered a health scare.
In a message on the social media site, Welsh, 39, expressed his need for a kidney.
“Anyone got a spare kidney I can get?,” he wrote. “Mine are junk.”
Gladwell, 44, didn’t hesitate to get tested and in too-good-to-be true fashion, he was a perfect match. The idea of Welsh’s son — who is close to the age of Gladwell’s grandson — growing up without a father was unimaginable.
“I wasn’t going to let his son grow up without his dad being there for everything….” Gladwell said. “Just another day. I had it set in my head that no matter what happened, it’s just another day.”
Once the word traveled to Philadelphia, the Eagles were sold and team president Don Smolenski reached out to the Chiefs. Both teams couldn’t picture the Super Bowl without another reunion for Gladwell and Welsh.
“The opportunity to bring these two guys together, their two teams playing on the biggest stage in sports, it’s very, very humbling and gratifying,” Smolenski told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I was stunned,” Welsh said when he received the news. For Gladwell, Super Bowl 2023 will be another emotional experience, as his wife has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
“She’s never been able to ring the bell for remission. That’s one thing we’re definitely doing,” he said, choking up.
Despite the friendship between the two, those sitting near Welsh and Gladwell will hear some snarky comments and chirping, as both have not wavered on their perspective teams leaving Arizona with championship rings. If anything, Welsh is concerned about the health effects he may have to deal with should the Chiefs win.
“A Chiefs kidney? I don’t know how my body will react if the Chiefs win,” he said. “The Eagles are going to win. Go Birds.”