Sitting in the hospital bed with no fear or worry, Nathan Copeland was about to donate his kidney to his best friend’s brother. He did this out of service to his Kappa Sigma brother.

Last year, the Elon University alumnus (’07) and Kappa Sigma member saved the life of Coleman Team, the brother of Copeland’s best friend and Kappa Sigma brother Alston Team.

For the donation, Copeland was named the recipient of the 2014 Lambda-Lambda Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year Award. This award is presented each year to Kappa Sigma alumnus who has best advanced the interests of the Association and the Lambda-Lambda chapter.

After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in business administration at Elon, Copeland went on to become the vice president of sales for Hickey Chair and Pearson Furniture, both high-end domestic furniture manufacturers, in Charlotte, where he lives. He has remained heavily involved with Kappa Sigma and Elon as a whole.

Copeland has been close friends with Team and his brother, Alston, for the past 10 years. Team, who attended Wake Forest University and currently lives in Winston-Salem, struggled with Alport’s Syndrome, a rare kidney disease, for 15 years. He began to experience dire medical problems in March of 2013, and he and his family began to search for a compatible donor. 

“There’s nothing more difficult than asking someone for an organ,” Team said.

When Copeland heard his friend’s brother needed a kidney transplant, he was eager to be tested. The doctor told him there was only a five percent chance Team would find a compatible donor. When the results came in, Copeland found that four of his six antigens matched up perfectly with Team, and the other two antigens were compatible.

An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body, which is vital for organ transplants to be successful. 

The UC Davis Health Center Website put the probability of finding an antigen match between donor and patient in perspective: “Except in cases of identical twins and some siblings, it is rare to get a six-antigen match between two people, especially if they are unrelated.  The chance of a perfect or six-antigen match between two unrelated people is about one in 100,000.”

Copeland said the match did not happen by chance.

“I felt blessed in this situation,” he said. “The entire event felt orchestrated. I knew I was in the right place, and I knew it was the right thing to do.”

Two weeks later, Copeland successfully donated his kidney to Team. Copeland said he felt humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to save one of his best friend’s life.

He also said he felt lucky to have Copeland’s willingness going into the transplant.

Team said their friendship has become inseparable since the transplant, and he considers Copeland family now.

“You don’t look at someone the same after something like this happens. Your bond changes forever,” he said. “Having that relationship going ahead in life is pretty special.”

Copeland said he is proud to receive the Lambda-Lambda Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year Award, but he insisted that his actions were not out of the ordinary.

“I am not a hero having done this. It’s what you do to help others,” he said. “There are people who donate organs every day.”

He said he knew he would donate to Team the moment the doctors told Copeland it was a possibility.

“[Team] is someone I care about and know so closely, so there were no questions asked whether I would donate or not,” Copeland said.

Team said he feels much better about his health and his life since the operation.

“Before, I could barely go to work. When it was really bad, I had to go on dialysis eight to nine hours a day, six to seven days a week,” he said. “Now I feel better than ever. I can exercise when I want to and basically do anything.”

Giving back to cancer research

Earlier this year, Team and his family set up a program that raises awareness, educates and funds research for living organ donations. The program is called the Nathan Copeland Fund for Live Donor Kidney Transplants, Research and Education. Although the fund currently functions at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, he said he hopes it can expand in the future.

Current Elon undergraduate Kappa Sigma members’ reactions have been overwhelmingly positive to Copeland’s award and actions.  Elon Kappa Sigma President Yale Hoffberg said he is proud that a member made such a significant life decision to save a brother’s biological brother.

“[Nathan’s action] puts into perspective as to why we’re a fraternity. It’s eye-opening,” he said. “It influences how we carry our pride on and off campus and how we support each other.”

Recognition for donation

The Alumni Association gave Copeland the alumni award during homecoming of this year. A large majority of undergraduate Kappa Sigma members attended his ceremony.   

Kappa Sigma’s philanthropy chair, junior Spencer Taylor, said Copeland is an excellent role model for the fraternity. Kappa Sigma focuses on men’s health awareness, and Taylor acknowledged that Copeland donating a kidney is an exemplary selfless act that speaks to their goals.

Taylor said they reinforce Kappa Sigma’s close-knit group goals.

“It’s not a, ‘Congratulations!’ and you’re done with it once you graduate. [The fraternity bond] is still very much alive afterwards,” Taylor said. “Copeland’s actions have made more people aware of the bond we have and its significance. It gives a perspective on what we really have and how special it is.”

Both Taylor and Hoffberg said Kappa Sigma brothers, both undergraduate and alumni, have a close bond. Taylor said that Greek life stories like Copeland’s should be more widespread and well-known. “It’s an excellent example of what fraternities can accomplish,” Taylor said.