CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar marked Thanksgiving by donating $25,000 to the family of the organ donor who saved his life, just days after he was discharged from University Hospitals following a successful liver transplant.
Kosar, 62, said the Dunlap family “changed my life forever” when they donated their son Bryce’s liver, giving him a chance at recovery after months of life-threatening health complications.
“This family changed my life forever when they blessed me with the incredible gift of Bryce’s liver,” Kosar wrote in a Thanksgiving Day post on social media announcing the donation. “Their generosity gave me a second chance, and I will never stop honoring Bryce’s legacy.”
Kosar called the moment a “full-circle” experience of “gratitude, healing and love,” and encouraged supporters to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser linked in his bio.
The gesture came less than a week after Kosar was released from University Hospitals on Monday, one week after undergoing transplant surgery on Nov. 17.
“I feel like a walking miracle,” Kosar told reporters at a press conference Monday. He said that months of health crises had left him unsure if he would live to see his 62nd birthday on Tuesday.
“There was no way I thought I was going to be here for my 62nd birthday,” he said. “There was no way I thought I was going to be healthy, let alone walking out of here.”
Dr. Zoe Lewis, the UH transplant surgeon who performed the operation, said Kosar’s recovery has been unusually smooth. He was one of the rare patients able to have his breathing tube removed in the operating room, she said.
“We had a really uneventful, thankfully, transplant surgery,” Lewis said. “He’s had a very smooth recovery since then. We’re excited that he’s going to be going home today in time for his birthday and Thanksgiving with his family.”
Kosar said he hasn’t “felt this good in years,” and shared a video message from his hospital bed last week thanking fans for their support.
“[I’m] really excited to be attacking the first day of the rest of my life with the great gift that I was given yesterday,” he said. “Remember today, all the people, families and communities we’ve touched — we can make such a winning, positive difference. You matter.”
Kosar’s transplant followed a series of emergency procedures earlier this month to stop internal bleeding. He told fans on Nov. 12 that he had undergone two “aggressive procedures,” followed by a fifth surgery overnight when the bleeding returned.
A GoFundMe created by close friend Jim McCarthy has raised more than $150,000 toward its $300,000 goal as of Monday afternoon. An update posted Sunday reported Kosar is “doing excellent” six days post-surgery, calling his progress “nothing short of miraculous.”
Kosar revealed in 2024 that he was suffering from liver failure and had been placed on UH’s transplant list. He also has been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and early dementia.
Kosar led the Browns to three consecutive AFC Championship game appearances, which they lost each time to the Denver Broncos in the 1986, 1987 and 1989 NFL seasons, including “The Drive” in 1987.
Kosar was released by the Browns midway through the 1993 season and later signed with the Dallas Cowboys, which went on that season to win Super Bowl XXVIII over the Buffalo Bills, 30-13.
After spending a half-season with Dallas, Kosar returned to Miami and signed with the Dolphins, where he served as backup to Hall of Famer Dan Marino for three seasons from 1994-96.
