Boss Has Employee's Kidney

Boss Has Employee's Kidney

Sales Manager Donates Organ To His Boss

UPDATED: 5:18 pm CDT July 24, 2007

OMAHA, Neb. -- There's a special bond behind the scenes at an Omaha business after an employee donated a kidney to his boss.

Darren McKean owns Floor to Ceiling in southwest Omaha. He found out not long ago that he had extremely high blood pressure and that he needed a kidney transplant.

"They still don't know if the blood pressure caused the kidney failure, or if the kidney failure caused the high blood pressure," McKean said.

He told his employees the news and his sales manager, Rob Manderfeld, stepped forward.

"That night I said, 'If you need help, I'll help you out.' Dave -- his brother, was the first one. Stepped in, went through the whole process, found out he had kidney stones. His fiance has high blood pressure. So, I was the backup of the backup," Manderfeld said.

Now, McKean has one of Manderfeld's kidneys.

It was a selfless act that came as a surprise to no one who knows the sales manager.

"He's a giving guy who cares," said Dan Kruntorad of TruVision Custom Homes. "From my standpoint, with homes, he takes care of me as a customer, just cares about us. No, this doesn't surprise me at all."

McKean said his employee had a message for him right before the surgery.

"Rob came to me and said, 'I want you to know, this, under no circumstances, guarantees me a job. I want you to treat me like anyone else.' I said, 'Rob, don't worry about it,'" McKean said.

The transplant was completed nearly two months ago. This week, both men said they feel great.

Both men received a lot of donated blood during the procedure. To pay back the blood bank, the business is holding a blood drive on Aug. 1. Visit

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