Nick Bohn can be forgiven if his mind may not be focused on Father’s Day this weekend.

The father of two – Kooper, 12, and Kinnley, 11, both Nash Middle School students in Clifton – are always in his thoughts as well as the thoughts of his wife, Lindsay, but he is somewhat distracted at this exact moment in time.

Bohn, 47, the third-generation owner/operator of the iconic L’Erable-based Longbranch restaurant, continues to be the undisputed driving force of the Longbranch kitchen.

However, there is more than thoughts of lunch or dinner orders, restocking the kitchen, or creating new menu items.

As Father’s Day 2026 comes upon Bohn this summer, he is about to take a giant step outside his kitchen tucked inside the 85-seat restaurant along North 1500 East Road and into a Rush University Medical Center operating room in Chicago.

It is there, on June 24, this coming Wednesday, where Bohn will undergo a kidney transplant – courtesy of Molly Clyden, 42, of neighboring Clifton – in his effort to overcome Stage 5 kidney disease.

Bohn, now of Ashkum, is a 1997 graduate of Donovan High School. He attended and graduated from the then Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

In 2005, he returned home and set his sights on the Longbranch, which was under the ownership of his parents, Web and Becky Bohn.

As he learned the ins and outs of the restaurant, he and Lindsay took over the business in 2013.

The children came as well as the steady stream of customers. Life was moving along just fine for the family of four.

However, in mid-2025, Bohn began getting sick during the night hours. In November he decided enough was enough, and he went to see his doctor.

What was initially thought to be an issue with his gallbladder was confirmed to be kidney disease. He had most likely been living with the illness for a significant time, or as he put it: “Who knows how long?”

But the bad news kept growing darker. He did not just have kidney disease; it was Stage 5 kidney disease. The disease has only five stages. Bohn was at the end of the line.

“I was as low as you could go,” he said.

A pair of second opinions was sought on the diagnosis. Both confirmed it. In short, Bohn’s two kidneys were no longer functioning. He was told there was no chance of recovery without a transplant.

With a transplant as his only hope, his sister, Kristy Arie of Crescent City, stepped forward.

“We really thought a sibling would be a match,” Bohn reasoned. A previous illness caused her to be taken off the list.

“I was heartbroken. I hate asking people for help,” he said. “I like to do things myself. I didn’t want to put myself out there.”

Bohn was going through hours-long dialysis treatments three times a week in Kankakee.

Dialysis, a life-sustaining medical treatment that performs the filtering functions of the kidneys, is basically a process to prolong life while the search for a donor takes place.

He entered the transplant program in late February.

Like so many on organ donor lists, he prayed for help.

Seeking a donor

Time dragged. Fingers were crossed. Hope became difficult to grab and hold.

The family decided to take matters into their own hands.

Through a March 13 social media post, Nick and Lindsay, married in 2012, told their story. They shared their family’s need. They then prayed someone might be willing to offer one of their two kidneys.

Many people – some known, many not – answered the call.

“The post took off like wildfire,” Lindsay said. It had 800 shares. They were stunned.

Within 10 minutes they were receiving responses from people near and far wanting to help, Nick said.

Numerous people were willing to help.

First through an extensive questionnaire and then later through testing, the list of candidates was narrowed, and one was soon found.

Oddly enough, the donor who rose to the top of the list was none other than Clyden. She and Lindsay have known one another since the very early days of school.

While one year apart, they traveled to the Clifton schools together on the same bus for years. Lindsay is a 2001 graduate of Central High School, while Clyden gained her degree in 2002.

Separated only by several miles, the two families are now joining together.

“It’s a crazy coincidence,” Nick said while shaking his head.

A neighbor offers hope

Clyden has a cousin who previously had need for a kidney transplant. That fact made her keenly aware of those in need.

She said she vowed to herself when someone expressed a need, she would offer herself as a candidate. She followed through on her silent pledge.

“She immediately messaged me and said she wanted to help,” Lindsay said of her longtime friend. “The ball just kept rolling.”

Clyden went through the screening process. She traveled to Rush for the necessary tests. She fit with Nick like a hand in a glove.

On May 20 – the one-year anniversary of the day Nick lost his father – he answered a phone call from Rush. He was informed a match had been found.

Due to rules, the hospital could not release the donor’s name. He was only informed it was a 40-year-old woman.

Nick and Lindsay said that was all the information they needed. “We both said it had to be Molly,” Nick said.

It was. Clyden came into the restaurant later that day and confirmed she would be Nick’s donor.

Clyden stated she has no overwhelming concerns about the pending donation. She’s been informed there will be an approximate 3-inch incision to remove her left kidney.

A mother of three, Clyden joked the process will not be as bad as her C-section for child birth.

If all goes as anticipated, her stay at Rush will be one day, perhaps two.

Clyden said her three children – ages 23, 19 and 14 – along with her husband, Brian, have been onboard with her decision.

“Brian is a ‘go-with-the-flow’ kind of person,” she shared.

A Nash Middle School para-professional, Clyden will have more than enough time to fully recuperate before returning to the classroom in late August.

Lindsay said repaying Molly is something they could never do for this gift of life. What they will do, however, is provide her with complementary Longbranch dining whenever she enters their business.

Longbranch to temporarily close

Nick said his Rush stay should be no more than three to four days. There will be many follow-up visits, but life should return to normalcy within a month or so following the surgery.

It is his goal to be back in his Longbranch kitchen and armed with a spatula within a month. Whether he is overly optimistic remains to be seen, but he is eager to return to his full life.

Through the Longbranch Facebook page, the owners plan to keep their loyal customers informed as to the status of the restaurant returning to business as usual. As of this point, the location will be closed from June 19 through July 17.

A large part of his life is the Longbranch. He hopes one day he can pass that spatula to his son, who has already shown an interest in the kitchen.

As the day of the transplant rapidly approaches, Nick has spent time reflecting. He has learned the precious nature of life and of family. He has also learned that despite what is reported in the news and seen on social media, people are good. People want to help.

Nick spoke of an abundance of support from fundraisers and kind words, to neighbors mowing the lawn and friends helping with the kids. He and Lindsay likened their story to a Hallmark movie.

“It’s been an experience. A truly bad experience has become an amazing experience.”

Kooper, his 12-year-old son, never had a moment of doubt.

“I knew he would find one. I knew we would find one. I just had a feeling.”

He soon hopes to be back in the kitchen watching his dad work his spatula magic for many years to come.

For more information on becoming an organ donor, visit organdonor.gov.