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.

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.” 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.

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.

match but also a 97% tissue match as well. “It’s crazy that someone not blood-related is that close a match. Almost like it was written in the stars,” Dimkich said.

After months of extensive testing and blood pulls, Cara’s doctors were hopeful she could undergo surgery. But two issues cropped up causing her doctors to delay the surgery. The doctors recommended she lose thirty pounds to ensure she was healthy enough to undergo surgery. So Dimkich tweaked her diet, ate mindfully and worked out on her Peloton every day and after two months, hit her goal weight. And although she, her family, and Clee had been very careful to follow COVID precautions, Cara’s nieces came down with mild cases of COVID, necessitating even more testing and waiting before getting the all clear for the surgery.

In September of 2020, Cara underwent the laparoscopic procedure. The initial recovery took less than five days and Cara describes it as fairly uneventful. Although hygienic protocols have been heightened across nearly every sector of life due to COVID, safety and hygiene are stressed so highly in transplant situations that COVID concerns played less a role than one might think.

And now, less than a year after surgery, both Clee and Cara are doing well and continue to be monitored by a team of doctors. Dimkich’s remaining kidney is back to functioning at 75% and will likely return to 85-90%, which is average for a person with two working kidneys.

But as much as an act of love and service Dimkich’s decision was, it follows a life spent giving time and energy to non-profit and service causes that are close to her heart. Cara continues to give back to her local community, volunteering at Hugs Cafe in Dallas, a non-profit that provides employment opportunities to those who are intellectually or physically disabled. She enjoys helping the staff while they gain life skills and make a living crafting sandwiches, soups and goodies for cafe patrons.

And that light-hearted, pragmatic sensibility of Cara’s? It extends to the advice she would give La Salle students and alums making their way through life. “Keep an open mind. It’s a broad statement but could be applied in so many ways. If someone needs a kidney, keep an open mind. If someone in your family has different political beliefs, keep an open mind. It’s the biggest takeaway that’s helped me in life. You never know what could happen. Things might not be what they could be, but keep an open mind.”

Cara with her sister Nicole (Dimkich) Szabo '95

Claire (Brennan) Carmody '98, Yvonna (Rowinski) Press '98, Cara Dimkitch '98

LIFELONG FRIENDS

//THINK FAST CARA DIMKICH

Favorite Food: Greek

Favorite Band: DMB, Mumford

Favorite Thing About Where You Live: Family

Favorite Way to Relax: Reading on the beach, anywhere.

If You Could Go Anywhere In The World, Where Would You Go? Right now anywhere! But Vietnam is high on the list.

Favorite Memory From Your Time at La Salle: Senior year English project - Spice Girls music vid, LTV, Cheer, Swimming, Union Station, Washington DC, and more... I had a great time in high school, made life-long friends, and wouldn’t change anything!

Favorite La Salle Teacher(s): 3M’s - Mr. Miller, Mr. Manente, Mr. Matheus.