CINCINNATI — Moeller High School heads into their playoff game against St. Xavier with a win against the Bombers, and a 9-1 season record. The Crusaders also have a source of inspiration borne out of respect: their assistant head coach’s fight against kidney disease.
Coach Darryn Chenault is now in Stage Five kidney disease and he needs a transplant to survive.
Despite growing health issues, he has continued to work as a coach and at his other job as part of the University of Cincinnati police force. Chenault says he gets through the tough times with the help of his co-workers at UC and his Moeller family.
“As soon as I found out I had a kidney disease, the staff, the families here, everybody just kinda rallied behind me and just kinda pushed me forward,” Chenault said. “It actually kinda eased some of my worries, I guess you could say.”
His fellow coaches and friends said Chenault has shown no signs of frustration to his players.
“Knowing Darryn for so long, I knew that this would be the guy where if anything happens, he doesn’t show that he has any issues out there,” said assistant coach Rodney Heath, a former Bengal and friend of Chenault.
“This is his example in showing the kids it’s a life thing for him it’s showing how life is,” Heath said. “When tough things happen in life for you, you keep moving. That’s what he shows. He’s leading by example.”
Heath said that takes the will to win in the playoffs to a whole other level.
“Intensity goes up and it’s a whole thing of not wanting to let him down,” Heath said. “That adds a lot of fuel and he’s coaching linebackers and those kids are like - we’ll do whatever you want, coach.”
One of his players, senior Micah Pitts, has even offered to donate a kidney.
“Coach Chenault is a big inspiration,” Pitts said.
Pitts lost his father earlier this year and Chenault has been there for him.
“I could say personally myself, since I lost my dad, Coach Chenault has stepped up to be a father figure to me,” Pitts said. “That’s why I want to repay him and get tested to see if I’m a match for him.”
He discussed the decision with the coach for hours.
“When you talk about instilling in these kids what life is all about, to me, that was the biggest moment in my life because he saw the light,” Chenault said. “Micah saw that I needed something more than a hug or motivation - he was willing to give me his kidney.”
Chenault has a whole team helping him to find a match, led by his daughter, Kennedy Chenault, and his friend Dana Parker.
“When Darryn learned he had kidney disease, he contacted me and his daughter to be donor champions,” Parker said. “We get [to] educate people on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so that people know what’s happening.”
Parker believes the attention to the playoff game against St. Xavier is helping their cause.
“Moeller making it to the playoffs and being a state contender is a blessing to us as donor champions,” Parker said. “This story in particular, getting out across Ohio, is sharing his story beyond Cincinnati.”
Parker wants viewers across Ohio to know that even if they’re not local to Cincinnati, they can still be a donor. Parker says that a donor who is alive is much preferred over a kidney that is donated in death because it is easier for the body to accept and immediately start using a transplant from a live person.
“It’s really easy to get tested and we can help you with all of that,” she said.
Parker’s work is helping Chenault focus on what he loves: football.
“I cannot sit there and worry about that a lot,” Chenault said. “I just gotta put in the work, take care of myself and make sure everybody around me knows where we’re going and where we’re going is success with this.”
for more information on the kidney donation process, call Christ Hospital’s Donor Transplant Coordinator Bri Bronson at 513-585-1427.
Chenault’s donor co-champions, Dana Parker and Kennedy Chenault, can be reached at 513-295-2855 or danacparker77@gmail.com, and 513-823-1957 or kchenault14@gmail.com.