Natalie Cole Was Prayed and Cared for by a Kentucky Priest Who Almost Gave Her His Kidney

By Timothy Yap Jan 06, 2016 02:21 AM EST

Natalie Cole, the daughter of the legendary of Nat King Cole, passsed away on New Year's eve. Known for his such as "Miss You Like Crazy," "Unforgettable" and "Pink Cadillac," the news of Cole's death has sent ripples of sadness across her fans. One person who took the grief personally is the Rev. James Sichko.

Rev. James Sichko is the parish minister of Saint Mark Catholic Church in Richmond. Cole came to Richmond to perform in 2007 and in 2009, as part of a celebrity concert series coordinated by the church. Rev. Sickho developed an amicable relationship with Cole.

According to Kentucky.com, Sichko said the pair hit it off almost immediately at baggage claim when Cole arrived at the airport. When Sichko asked why Cole was traveling with five or seven huge trunks of clothing.

"I said, 'You're here one day, doing two shows,'" Sichko said. Cole replied, "But Father Jim, a woman has to have choices."

He said Cole's first concert at times moved the audience to tears, including a performance of Unforgettable, which he said Cole dedicated to him.

Cole announced in 2008 that she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which is a liver disease that is spread through contact with infected blood. Cole attributed having the disease to her past intravenous drug use. Cole explained in 2009 that hepatitis C "stayed in my body for 25 years, and it could still happen to...addicts who are fooling around with drugs, especially needles." Four months after starting treatment for hepatitis C, Cole experienced kidney failure and required dialysis three times a week for nine months.

When Sichko knew about Cole's need of a kidney, he secretly contacted Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to see if it were possible for him to donate a kidney to an ailing Cole. According to a Lexington Herald Leader report. "She later got a match from a different donor."

"Our parish really rallied around her, supporting her through prayer," he said, during Cole's illness and 2009 transplant.

Sichko said Cole's challenges in her life such as divorce or past intravenous drug use never deterred the church from supporting her.

"She didn't give up and God didn't give up on her," he said.

Singer Natalie Cole and the Rev. James Sichko in 2009 during her second visit to Saint Mark Catholic Church in Richmond.