Lional Dalton waiting for life-saving kidney transplant

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Lional Dalton’s wife recently found a plaque that he received for a public service announcement he did decades ago for organ donation and transplantation. The former Ravens defensive tackle now is in need of a life-saving kidney transplant.

“It’s almost like God got a crazy sense of humor,” Dalton told Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “What’s the odds of that?”

In early 2020, doctors diagnosed Dalton with Stage 4 kidney disease. He has gone to dialysis five hours a day, three days a week, while waiting for a kidney. The typical wait time for a kidney from the national deceased-donor waiting list is five years, according to Hensley.

“Waiting for a kidney is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Dalton told Hensley. “I used to fight for my team on the field, but now I am fighting for my life.”

Dalton’s recent appearance on “Good Morning America” prompted some Baltimore-area residents to offer help. One woman intended to donate her kidney to her mother, who died before the transplant, and is undergoing tests to see if she is a match to Dalton.

“God willing, this lady comes through for me,” Dalton told Hensley. “I could have a kidney by the end of the year. That would be amazing.”

Dalton, 46, played nine NFL seasons, including his first four with the Ravens. He also saw action with the Chiefs, Broncos, Washington and the Texans.