By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

One of Hays’ own was named Mrs. Kansas Saturday.

This was Cassie Hickel’s first pageant, but she was not looking for glory or a crown. She was looking for a way to spread the word about her platform — live organ donation.

In December, Hickel, 27, donated one of her kidneys to someone she had never met before she started the organ donation process.

Hickel said she was raised to share her finances, talents and time.

When she saw a billboard on Interstate 70 that said, “I need a kidney” and a phone number, Hickel felt compelled to call it.

She did not call the number and later discovered the billboard had been placed by a man whose wife had kidney disease. She passed away. Hickel was haunted by the image and the message.

Her opportunity to share of herself would come later. Hickel had a mutual friend on Facebook that knew Rich Klim.

Klim was diagnosed with kidney disease when he was 3, but it was not until years later that this father of three began to have symptoms and ultimately had to go on dialysis. He was spending six hours three times per week on dialysis, which was very difficult because he has to travel for his job.

Hickel saw posts on Facebook about Klim needing a kidney and those old calling she felt to help emerged again.

“When I saw that post, I felt compelled to do it,” she said of the kidney donation. “I knew God had called me to do it. I knew it was really something that I was supposed to do.”

Hickel was tested for kidney donation and was a 98 percent match to Klim.

Her husband, Mason, said he was shocked when Cassie told him she wanted to donate a kidney, but Mason knew when Cassie made up her mind about something, she was driven to do it.

“I was speechless,” Mason said. “I didn’t know what it all entailed. I didn’t know what it was going to take. We have three little girls at home. I didn’t know how long she was going to be in bed.”

Hickel donated on Dec. 8, 2016.

She faced six weeks of medical recovery after her surgery and couldn’t lift more than 10 pounds, including her 1-year-old daughter.

Mason, who works in the oil field, pitched in to take care of their three young children — Lydia, 6, Aubrey 4, and Eleanor, who will be 2 in July.

“It was a blessing on our family,” Mason said. “This will definitely always stay with us and we will remember this. It has been an absolute blessing.”

Six months later both Cassie and Rich are doing well. Rich is back at work and is on a low dose of anti-rejection medication.

Cassie’s six month labs looked good and her body is adjusting to only having one kidney. She has assumed her normal life, and the doctors said that the only thing she can’t do is become a body builder.

Mason said he encouraged Cassie to participate in the Mrs. Kansas pageant. He said he knew it would be a means for her to get her story out about donation.

The Klims attended the pageant in Chillicothe, Mo.

Mason said he knew when she made the final three contestants at the pageant that she was going to win.

“I was very excited,” he said. “I posted it on Facebook and you can hear me screaming in the background the whole time.”

Cassie works as a wellness coach from home, and Mason said Cassie’s upcoming work on her platform will allow their children to see her in a different light.

“Their mom is like a superwoman now,” he said.

Cassie will have the opportunity to compete in the Mrs. America Pageant August 19-26 in Las Vegas.

She said, however, she is most excited about having an avenue to share her platform of live organ donation.

She explained 30 million people in America have kidney disease. Sixty-four percent of them don’t realize they have one of the first two stages of the disease.

Rejection rates for those who receive donations from live donors are significantly lower than for those who receive organs from deceased donors and the organ recipients tend to live longer.

Rich and Cassie were a 98 percent match whereas a deceased donor may only be able to provide a 60 percent match.

When a live donor gives a kidney, there is more time to test for the best match and the donor can be tested to ensure the donor is healthy and they don’t have any health problems in their family background.

“Basically the reason I ran for Mrs. Kansas and it is an honor to have the title is because the title itself opens up so many more doors and opportunities that I could have imagined from just being from little ol’ Ellis County in the middle of Kansas. I have a lot more connections this way and the title itself is well-known and allows people to speak to me about my platform and gives me the opportunity to share where I wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise to.”