At the 57th NFL Super Bowl yesterday, Philadelphia Eagles fan Billy Welsh sat next to Kansas City Chiefs fan John Gladwell. Despite cheering for different teams, their bond runs deep -- with Gladwell donating his kidney to Welsh more than two years ago. The duo met over 20 years ago when they both served in the U.S. Marines. They remained in touch through social media after leaving the service, but didn't actually speak for years. The friendship rekindled in 2019, when Welsh shared on Facebook that he needed a kidney. Welsh is a father to a two-year-old son, not much older than Gladwell's grandson. "I wasn't going to let his son grow up without his dad being there for everything," Gladwell told to NBC San Diego. Gladwell was a perfect match, and the two underwent a sucessful 10-hour transplant. When the two friends' story found its way to the Eagles, team President Don Smolenski contacted the Chiefs, and both teams agreed to send Welsh and Gladwell to the Super Bowl in Arizona, U.S.. "The opportunity to bring these two guys together, their two teams playing on the biggest stage in sports, it's very, very humbling and gratifying," Smolenski told The Philadelphia Inquirer. The kindness of the Super Bowl tickets surprise was especially poignant for Gladwell, as his wife currently undergoes treatment for cancer.
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