CLEVELAND, Ohio – “Hey, Terry! How ya doing? I’m doing great!”
It was Bernie Kosar calling Tuesday morning from University Hospitals, where he had a liver transplant on Monday.
“The doctors are amazed,” said the former Browns quarterback. “They can’t believe I’m doing this good.”
Bernie’s voice was strong. His optimism remains unrelenting. His sense of humor, it’s pure Bernie.
“I’ve got early dementia,” he said. “I got early Parkinson’s. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on, but I’m telling you – I haven’t felt this good in years.”
That wasn’t the case a few days ago.
Bernie was suffering from major bleeding, some of it coming out of his mouth and nose. He was in the hospital for a liver transplant, but he couldn’t have the operation until the bleeding stopped.
Bernie Kosar
After a successful liver transplant, Bernie Kosar is looking forward to the rest of his life. AP
It was life & death
I talked to someone close to the situation. This was turning into a life-and-death struggle. If the bleeding (which had been going on for days) didn’t cease, it was hard to know how long he’d live with the major liver failure.
“It was bad,” he said. “But I never believed I’d pass. I just didn’t. I was praying. I felt God’s presence. Lots of people were praying for me … ‘’
Bernie stopped. His emotions were bubbling up.
“I felt God wasn’t done with me yet,” he said. “I just felt it.”
The bleeding finally ceased Saturday morning after he had endured several different procedures to stop it. Then, he had to wait more than a day to make sure it didn’t return.
Finally, at 5 a.m. Monday, he had the transplant surgery.
“The doctors … the nurses … everybody,” said Bernie, his voice cracking a bit. “I can’t thank them enough. Everyone is so great to me.”
BERNIE KOSAR'S FIRST BROWNS PRESS CONFERENCE
Bernie Kosar wears his new Browns jersey at the July 2, 1985, press conference.Cleveland Plain Dealer
The public support
“The fans have always been great to me,” he said. “All these years … ”
Bernie played at Youngstown Boardman High and the University of Miami before joining the Browns. He graduated from college early and entered the supplemental draft because he wanted to play for the Browns.
He was with the team from 1985-93. With Bernie at quarterback, the Browns made the playoffs five times in eight years.
“I know God has more for me to do,” he said. “I used to think I’d play quarterback for a while, then spend 40 years signing autographs and going to parties. Then I had all these injuries, the head injuries and everything … I learned so much from that.”
Then Bernie talked about the Browns.
“They really stepped up,” he said. “The Browns have paid my insurance all these years. I took that for granted. They didn’t have to do that. The Haslam and Johnson families … my medical bills have been millions and millions … they have been there for me. I’m telling you, I would not be alive without them.”
He meant Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam along with their son-in-law, JW Johnson.
“I want to take this experience and help others to heal like I am,” he said. “There are things we can do to make ourselves better. I think of all the head injuries I’ve had … all the pain. But I got through it and now this … here I am.”
Bernie paused. He will be 62 on November 25.
“This is the first day of the rest of my life,” he said.
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