MAKING A
DIFFERENCE
By: Carolyn Neuhausen ’04 When Cara Dimkich ’98, made the life-changing decision to offer one of her kidneys to a beloved neighbor, she embodied the Gospel of Matthew’s famous verse, “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God with all thy heart... thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This selfless decision would, at any other time, be considered courageous, but during a global pandemic, it became downright heroic.
Cara and her family have always been extremely close, so when her sister Nicole ’95, moved to Dallas, Cara and her mother followed suit. While in Dallas, she has cultivated a close-knit circle of friends including neighbors Clee Ceasar, an ex-Special Forces Major, and his wife Sarah, who have become part of Cara’s extended family and Coronavirus quarantine pod.
Dimkich, is a positive and energetic marketing professional who navigates life with a simple “why not” philosophy. Growing up, Cara’s family was involved in service work with the Ronald McDonald House and the Special Olympics and she fondly remembers her time visiting Pasadena’s Union Station with La Salle educator Ed O’Connor. Forming bonds with teachers at La Salle is one of her favorite memories of high school, and she recounts the passion civics teacher Sabatino Manente shared while on a high school trip with students to Washington D.C. for President Clinton’s second inauguration. “Mr. Manente is a character and a legend,” she said, adding “none of my friends in public schools had that connection to teachers who were crazy fun.”
Around Christmas of 2019, Cara was speaking with Clee about his ongoing search for an organ match. He explained that a few years prior, his first kidney was removed after doctors found a tumorous growth, and his one remaining kidney failed to sustain his health. From that point forward, he lived on dialysis and was in search of a kidney match. Unfortunately, his sister’s health ruled her out and his son had the same blood type as his wife, making Clee’s options for a donor few and far between. Little did he know that conversation would change his life. Cara knew she wanted to help and got tested to see if she was a match. She learned she was not only a blood 7
