CUP OF JOE: A True Baltimore Hero

Social media has been described in many ways, and most of the descriptions drip with profanity. But sometimes, social media can really be an effective tool, not the least of which is staying connected to family and friends. And if the dots are properly connected, new friendships are possible as well. Hold that thought. The following dots are something special.

A couple months ago I learned that one of my neighbors, Robin Phelan, was preparing to donate a kidney. I assumed that a family or close friend would be the recipient of Robin’s incredibly selfless gift, and I never really gave it much thought other than to extend accolades for her incredible generosity and well wishes for a successful surgery. What I didn’t know until TODAY, is that Robin gave her kidney to someone who months ago, was a total stranger.

I just watched the interview. What an amazing story! In a nutshell, Jeff Deckman, a resident of Aberdeen, MD, discovered that he had IGA, an autoimmune kidney disease that had progressed so quickly that he was in imminent need of a transplant. The need was so dire that doctors feared that Jeff’s place in the donor queue wouldn’t deliver a kidney in time. So, his wife Jen took to Facebook to explain the Deckman Family’s desperate situation. What did she have to lose?

Enter Robin Phelan.

Robin spotted the Facebook post and was so compelled by the Deckman story that she stepped in and then stepped up. Without ever having met the Deckmans, she offered up her kidney to help a family in need. Let that sink in.

This wasn’t a family that needed food on their table or clothes for their children or a new home for a puppy they couldn’t care for. They needed a kidney and they needed it yesterday! Robin took pause, saw a crumbling future through Jen’s eyes, raised her hand and in so many words said, “Here, take my kidney!”

No questions asked. No strings. No contingencies.

Just pure selflessness.

Could you have done the same? I’d like to think that I could but if I’m being honest, I don’t think that thought would have ever crossed my mind, not for a complete unknown. I may have donated money to a Go Fund Me but donating a kidney?

Every day I wake up and do something for Russell Street Report. Whether it’s writing a new article, posting one, editing another or just reading contributions from our skilled staff, at least part of every single day is dedicated to this site. Some of the stories are compelling. A few will inspire. And every now and then one will include an ascending hero who has done something extraordinary. Yet even the most exceptional of these heroes would be hard-pressed to do what Robin Phelan did. She is a genuine American Hero.

If the NFL or even the world at large were filled with Robin Phelans, this truly would be heaven on earth. But since we know that it’s not, we can appreciate, admire and even be inspired by Robin’s altruism.

Tonight, we’ll all be on the edge of our seats hoping that the Ravens can keep their season alive and wrestle the AFC North Title from the Steelers. If they play with the grit, determination and team-first approach that Robin does, there will be a lot of upset fans in Pittsburgh.

Play like a Raven?

How about “Play like Robin Phelan”!

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[Related Article: You can watch the entire interview here on the WJZ-TV website]

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/01/04/cup-of-joe/robin-phelan-a-true-baltimore-hero/