Family friends from Murrysville, Greensburg now share a liver despite pandemic

Julia Bolkovac has known Jimmy Singer her whole life.

When the Murrysville native learned Singer of Greensburg was in desperate need of a liver transplant, Bolkovac couldn’t act fast enough to serve as his donor. But, when Bolkovac’s job as a cardiac nurse at UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh put her donation in jeopardy because of her potential exposure to the coronavirus, she took action.

“We were originally given a date at the end of April, but I was concerned because of the virus and that I’m still working. I didn’t want to get exposed and not be able to do the surgery,” Bolkovac said.

As the coronavirus affects local hospitals and the health care community, doctors agreed to schedule the surgeries sooner. On April 2, Bolkovac’s procedure to harvest a section of her liver was first. Singer’s was second to have Bolkovac’s donation transplanted.

So far, the surgeries appear to be a success. Bolkovac, 24, was discharged from UPMC Montefiore on Monday. Singer, 65, is hopeful to return home by the end of the week.

The Bolkovac and Singer families have been friends for years. Singer’s wife, Saundra, and Bolkovac’s mother, Lori, were co-workers at the Westmoreland County Courthouse until her retirement. They have remained close through illnesses, births and life in general.

Jimmy Singer, a retired utility worker for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, learned in December that his liver was failing and he needed a transplant to survive. Rather than place his name on the transplant list, the Singers, who have no children, opted to seek a private donor.

But, before they could even begin the process to search out someone whose blood type might be a match for Singer, Bolkovac stepped forward.

“When I found out, I just volunteered. Nobody had to ask me,” Bolkovac said.

For Singer, words of appreciation are hard to come by. “She gave me my life back. Someone called her a rock star, but she’s an angel from heaven.”

His wife and Bolkovac’s parents were at the hospital on the day of the surgeries and visited them when the procedures were completed. They haven’t been back since because of precautions put in place by the hospital over coronavirus concerns.

“I just knew the Lord would take care of them,” Lori Bolkovac said.

Julia Bolkovac said she’ll be off work for three months to recover from the surgery. It’s a sacrifice she said she never doubted.

“You can see how much it meant to them,” she said. “I know, if they were my age and somebody needed something like this, they would do it in a minute.”