Jellyroll Gift of Life

Known as Jelly Roll throughout the NFL, Lional Dalton was a force to be reckoned with. For nine seasons he played on five teams throughout the National Football League, winning one Superbowl, and recognized as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. At his biggest, Lional weighed 315 pounds. 315 pounds working tirelessly for nine years on the football field took its toll on Lional’s health. Dalton was forced to retire after a spinal injury, but it was years later that his body really started to suffer after decades of playing the game.

Lional started to suffer from high blood pressure, arthritis and kidney issues. He says “a lot of that comes from all the medication and blows to the body.” Those blows eventually led him to be in chronic pain, and in January 2020, Lional was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. He was immediately put on dialysis. “It was a shock to me,” stated Lional. “I knew I was getting sicker each day; I knew my body was fighting against me, but I didn’t know it was this bad.” So bad, that Lional was receiving dialysis several times a week for over a year and a half. He spent numerous nights away from his family in the hospital. Lional was truly in a fight for his life.

In April 2021, Lional and a team of friends, family and outside agents worked together to develop a plan that would let as many people as possible know that Lional needed a new kidney. After brainstorming sessions, lots of discussions, and in between many, many doctors’ appointments, Lional’s team created a strategy around the theme, a new kidney for Jelly Roll.

A new Twitter page was created, a website, and media pitches began. By the end of April, Lional’s story had gone viral. Fans from all over the country were sending him well wishes, sharing his story and offering to give him one of their kidneys. Lional was, and still is, completely blown away by the generosity, and support from the thousands of people he’s never even met. NFL fans from teams he never even played on, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburg Steelers, Miami Dolphin fans, all telling Lional’s story under the messaging that “we are all one NFL family.” Reporters were also anxious to tell Lional’s story, from local podcasts to Sports Illustrated and ESPN, Lional’s need for a kidney was being heard loud and clear. Within four months, Lional had six people lined up to donate his kidney. All six had passed the initial screening and were moving onto the next round of tests when Lional got the call a kidney had been found.

On August 25th, Lional received the call that would change his life. A match was found. He had to fly immediately from his home in Atlanta, to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. It was a bittersweet homecoming for Jelly. He
was going to live. Lional’s kidney was a cadaver kidney, meaning it was donated
by the loved ones of someone who recently passed. Lional underwent the
four-hour procedure and came out stronger than before. The kidney and Lional
are thriving. He will have months of testing to ensure his kidney isn’t
rejected and will need to ensure he is following strict dietary and medical
rules for the remainder of his life. A small price to pay for a life without
dialysis.

Lional
is forever grateful for the donors family, friends, and Johns Hopkins Medical Staff, social media supporters, NFL fans, former teammates, and especially the donor family for allowing him to follow through with all the future plans he has with his wife and four children. He has created JellyRoll Gift of Life^TM as a way to give back to those in need, and to pay-it-forward for all of the support he received while on his quest for a new kidney.