Felix, a 1981 graduate of Summit High School, has lived in Westfield for decades and has remained involved in soccer throughout his life. His connection to the sport ultimately helped lead to the liver transplant that changed his life.
In 2012, Felix needed a transplant after living for years with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disease affecting the bile ducts. When he told an organizer in his recreational soccer league that health problems would force him to stop playing, news of his need spread through the Westfield soccer community. A former University of Richmond teammate and roommate, Patrick Kacani, learned about the situation and volunteered to be tested as a potential living donor.
Kacani was a match and donated part of his liver to Felix on Nov. 27, 2012. Felix has since taken part in organ- and tissue-donation awareness work with NJ Sharing Network and competed with Team Liberty at the Transplant Games of America.
He also played for Team USA at the inaugural Transplant Football World Cup in Italy in 2024, when the Americans defeated Northern Ireland 2-1 in their final match on a winning goal by Felix. The 2026 tournament brought the returning team back together with more shared experience.
NJ Sharing Network said Felix’s journey reflects the impact of living donation and the connections that can grow from it. The submitted information did not include Team USA's final tournament result.
