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Hudsonville teacher, a cancer survivor and kidney donor, nominated for MLB contest

Posted at 8:58 AM, Apr 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-13 09:04:07-04

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. -- After donating her kidney to save her child's life, Sharon Leerar was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, her husband has nominated her in the 2017 MLB Honorary Bat Girl Contest to be recognized at Wrigley Field on Mothers Day.

The Chicago Cubs hold the #1 spot in the Leerar household. Even the family dog is named Wrigley.

But baseball took a backseat a few years ago when Sharon's son John was diagnosed with kidney failure when he was a teen.

"He got seriously ill and was in the hospital for six weeks," Sharon said. "We almost lost him. He almost died."

Sharon turned out to be a perfect match. They actually were notified of the match while rooting for the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

But three months after the successful transplant in December of 2015, Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had skipped her regular mammogram to give the kidney to John. If the mammogram had been done, the cancer would have been diagnosed and Sharon would not have been able to donate the kidney. John might be on dialysis now. Fortunately, the cancer was still caught early.

Phil, Sharon's husband and John's father, has nominated Sharon and John in the 2017 MLB Honorary Bat Girl Contest to be recognized at Wrigley Field on Mothers Day. The submission and voting period is over, so now all Sharon and the family can do is wait.