Former MLB Pitcher Reunites with Liver Donor—High School Classmate He Hadn't Seen in 20 Years

In a remarkable turn of events, a social media plea for a life-saving liver transplant has reunited two long-lost high school classmates after more than two decades apart. Steven Register, 42, a former Major League Baseball pitcher diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, found hope in a Facebook group created by his wife to search for a living donor — and hope arrived in the form of Kristin Johnston, who hadn’t spoken to Register since they both graduated from Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia in 1999.

Register’s diagnosis came suddenly in April 2024, after he experienced persistent appetite loss and rapid weight loss of 15 pounds in a single month. The prognosis was grim, with doctors estimating he had only 12 to 18 months to live. Despite an aggressive treatment regimen that included surgery for a temporary ostomy bag and chemotherapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, hopes of a conventional liver resection were dashed when tumors were found to be too large. Faced with limited options, Register and his wife, Beth, turned to the public for help, launching their search for a living liver donor online.

That call for help was answered when Johnston, now a 40-year-old preschool teacher living in Roswell, Georgia, scrolled past the Facebook post. Though more than twenty years had passed since she last saw Register, she felt compelled to reach out. After a brief exchange to confirm blood type compatibility — discovering both were B positive — Johnston volunteered to begin the screening process for live liver donation. Within weeks, she received confirmation that she was a match, learning the news on Good Friday, a day she described as “meaningful.”

The transplant procedure, an extensive surgery expected to last up to 14 hours, will require doctors to remove approximately 70% of Johnston’s liver, which will then be transplanted into Register. Both livers are expected to regenerate within a matter of months, potentially offering a new lease on life to both donor and recipient. “For her, she is ultimately giving him the gift of life — for him, a really fresh start in this journey,” said Beth Register, expressing the family’s deep gratitude for Johnston’s extraordinary generosity.

For the Register family, which includes their three children McKenzie, Blakely, and Brooks, the transplant represents not just a medical intervention but also a chance at more time together. A fundraising effort has been launched to help cover mounting travel, food, and medical costs. Meanwhile, Johnston — herself the mother of three — has been praised by both families for her selflessness and courage. “We just appreciate her being willing to put her life on pause to hopefully lengthen his life by many, many, many years,” Beth Register shared.

The story underscores the often-overlooked possibilities offered by living organ donation. “A lot of people don’t realize that live donations, whether it be for livers or kidneys, are even an option,” Beth Register explained, noting her hope that their experience will inspire others to consider becoming living donors. As the families prepare for the complex and life-altering procedure, they credit faith and fate for their reunion and the hope it has brought. “We just pray that God is opening all the right doors and that Kristin is the perfect donor for him,” said Beth.

Now, with the operation drawing near, both families look ahead with cautious optimism, buoyed by the support of their communities and by a remarkable act of kindness that has not only reconnected two classmates, but may have saved a life.