Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Alumnus Celebrates Saving a Life
Christian Montano, Class of 2014, has a lot to celebrate in his young life. For starters, the former Hornet gridiron standout is now on the football roster at Tulane University. He’s riding the Green Wave as a graduate student. The NFL prospect landed this position after four years on the Brown University playing field.
However, it’s not Christian’s athletic accomplishments for which he was recently recognized, but an act of kindness of life-saving proportions. More than a year ago, Christian stepped up and volunteered to donate his bone marrow to an unidentified recipient. On May 7, Christian finally met Jim Calhoun, the man whose life he saved.
It was an emotional embrace that Christian’s proud mother, Kendra Montano, caught on video. Then local TV station WTNH featured a heartfelt conversation between donor and recipient on their news broadcast.
Christian’s journey started his freshman year at Brown with a routine cheek swab. Little did he know that four years later, he could give someone a second chance at life. Enter Jim, a husband and father, who was diagnosed with a children's form of blood cancer in September 2017, rare for an adult. The transplant took place in February 2018.
Medical restrictions prevent donor and recipient from meeting for at least a year after the transplant. But as soon as the coast was clear, Kendra was on the phone to Jim and his wife Karin Rose. And it was a pleasant coincidence to learn that the Calhouns lived in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in close proximity to Christian’s home in Orange, Conn.
On May 10, Kendra and her husband Gary hosted a “Celebration of Life” in their home, inviting family and friends to share in the joy.
For Christian, he humbly says that saving a life was “an awesome feeling.” “It’s hard to put into words,” he said. For Jim, well, he is still overwhelmed by it all. “It’s very emotional,” Jim said. “I have a brother forever.”
—Jodi Amatulli
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
