By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Cassie Hickel, a 27-year-old Hays wife and mother of three, decided to enter the 2017 Mrs. Kansas pageant because “it’s very platform-based.” She has never participated in any type of pageant but was motivated by a life-changing event.
Much to her surprise, she won the state contest and will be competing in the national Mrs. America Pageant August 19-26 in Las Vegas.
Hickel’s platform is living organ donation and she’s sharing her first-hand experience as a live kidney donor to an Iowa man she had never met before.
Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs was so impressed with Hickel’s story she recently asked Cassie to share it the other commissioners.
“This past December I actually donated a kidney to a gentleman from Iowa,” Hickel told commissioners.
She admits some people might think “it’s a little bit crazy how it all came about.”
“I was scrolling through my Facebook feed in July 2015 and one of my friends had shared Richard’s story. It said Richard was in kidney failure. He was O positive blood type and needed a living kidney donor, preferably, because that’s much more compatible than a deceased donor most of the time,” Hickel explained.
Hickel read the post and said she felt “led to reach out. It was just a total God thing, not something I would have done otherwise,” she laughed.
“I had total peace about the entire situation.”
Hickel went through much of the pre-operative medical testing in Hays. “Once we got to the point where we were double-checking that my family medical history was fine, and I was completely compatible with Richard from the inside-out, I went to Iowa for further testing.”
In Oct. 2016, all the tests were finally done and Hickel and Richard Klim found out she was 98 percent compatible with him. “That’s basically unheard of when it comes to a donor who is not a family member, not a blood relative,” said Hickel.
The kidney surgeries were done Dec. 8, 2016. “Both of us are doing super well,” Hickel reported.
Since then, she’s been working with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Becoming active with the NKF Advocacy Action Center soon lead to Hickel’s interest in the platform-based Mrs. Kansas pageant.
According to NKF, there are 2,983 Kansans on kidney dialysis with 293 patients on the transplant wait list. In 2016, 21 Kansans died while waiting for a kidney donation.
“I’ve had the opportunity to share not only my story, but also several other people’s stories through working with the National Kidney Foundation and now as Mrs. Kansas.” Hickel will also share those special stories during the upcoming Mrs. America competition as she continues her advocacy of live kidney donation while reigning as Mrs. Kansas.
She thanked the commissioners for the support she’s received from the city of Hays as well as the state of Kansas.
“I look forward to representing you all in August in Vegas,” she added.
Jacobs thanked Hickel for sharing her story. “We’re very, very proud of you and good, good luck from all of us in Hays,” Jacobs told Hickel.