Supt. Johnson just received kidney transplant — here’s who his donor was

Supt. Eddie Johnson has been battling kidney disease for decades and now, thanks to his son and a successful transplant, he can begin to put some of those problems behind him.

Johnson, who underwent surgery Wednesday, received his 25-year-old son’s kidney through the transplant and is now in stable conditions, according to DNAinfo. Doctors are calling the transplant a success and operating doctors, Dr. Martin Hertl and Dr. Edward Hollinger, released a statement following the surgery saying Johnson was in fair condition following the surgery.

RELATED: A Chicago teen led police on a chase after he stole a car, but the crime turned out to be a fatal mistake he’ll never be able to correct

“[Johnson’s] vital signs are stable, he is conscious and comfortable and indicators are favorable,” the statement read.  “Everything went smoothly and as expected for both donor and recipient.”

While Johnson has struggled with the disease for year, he kept it a secret for much of his career, only making the information public earlier this year when he nearly collapsed at a news conference. Following the incident, Johnson began preparing for a surgery, losing 50 pounds and making some lifestyle changes to aid in the success of the transplant.

RELATED: Found guilty on 13 counts, the leader of a Chicago drug empire is finally facing almost 40 years in prison for his crimes

“Trust me when I tell you this,” Johnson said. “There is still a lot of work to be done in this city. The quicker I get this done and recover, the quicker I can get back to the work at hand. I am determined to make CPD a model agency and Chicago one of the safest big cities in the country.”