Job Seeker Turns the Tables by Donating Kidney to Advisor

Changing Lives – Hudson Job Search Client Donates Kidney to Advisor

Hudson Job Search (HJS) has been supporting job seekers in the local area community for more than 40 years. With its team of volunteer advisors, HJS  successfully guides job seekers through all aspects of job search;  networking, resume building, and interview skills to name a few.  Job seekers routinely say this advisor assistance helped “change their lives.”  But this past year, HJS saw a job seeker turn the tables by changing an advisor’s life.

In the fall of 2020, longtime volunteer advisor Peter Fleming went on the kidney transplant list.   Though he sought a donor for some months, even from friends and family, he was unsuccessful at finding a match and growing increasingly concerned.

Frank Ricard, an electrical engineer with strong operations leadership experience, had been using Hudson Job Search to find a career after a company restructure.  He heard of Peter Fleming’s need for a kidney donor from Peter’s wife.  Ricard was inspired to see if he could be a match as a donor.  It turns out his blood type was a perfect match.  Realizing the challenge Peter faced, Frank took on the challenge to help, even though it would set back his job search.  The road was a long one. It began in April of 2021 with Ricard’s first attempt to qualify as a donor. He was rejected.  But he worked tirelessly to make changes to improve his own health, losing weight, lowering his cholesterol and his blood pressure.  After multiple rejections, months of hard work to improve his own health and his continued advocacy to be a donor, he was finally approved.

The surgery occurred in August of 2022 and was successful for Fleming and Ricard.  Peter recently saw his doctors for his 3-month review. He received high marks on his recovery and overall health. Frank is back in job search mode.

“This kind of sacrifice speaks to the type of advisors and clients we have at Hudson Job Search,” said HJS President, Michael Polovick. “We are used to making a difference in the lives of jobs seekers, but it’s not every day a job seeker is able to impact an advisor’s life in such a meaningful way.  Now we and others are working with Frank to find an employer that not only values the skills on his resume, but the character he has shown through his unselfish commitment to others in need.”

Hudson Job Search (HJS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization that provides free job placement assistance to residents in the Northeastern Ohio community. The organization began in 1982 and has assisted more than 4,500 job seekers successfully obtain meaningful employment. HJS is unique among voluntary outplacement groups in that it assigns an advisor to assist the job seeker until the job seeker lands a new roll.  For more information go to Hudson Job Search Free Advisory Services for NEO Job Seekers