Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University VillageGunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
Lori Klein is a kidney donor for Sandy Bilsky, an Englewood man who was in a desperate search for the organ. (CREDIT: WINK News) We first introduced you to 79-year-old Sandy Bilsky in January 2021. Sandy needed a new kidney, and no one in his family was a match. So, he humbled himself and allowed Reporter Erika Jackson to follow his journey to find a stranger willing to donate a kidney to save his life. As many as 40 selfless WINK News viewers stepped up but doctors, unfortunately, eliminated them all as matches. Before leaving for a new job in North Carolina, Erika covered Sandy’s story one more time, and a woman named Lori Klein saw it. A former WINK News reporter, Erika Jackson, helped Sandy Bilsky find a kidney through her reporting. She proved to be Sandy’s perfect donor, and on March 18, 2022, Lori gave Sandy her kidney. Now, Sandy has invited you along again for his post-transplant reunion with Lori. Tampa General scheduled their joint surgeries for St. Patrick’s Day – how’s that for turning your luck around? “I’ll start playing the lottery,” Sandy exclaimed. “But you know, I don’t have to play the lottery because, thanks to Lori, I’ve won the lottery.” All that was left was for sandy to “cash in.” Not all kidney transplants take. So for their St. Patty’s Day surgeries, Lori donned green pajamas. Sandy’s wife Anne came equipped with a sparkly bowtie and shamrock scarf. Lori’s husband Chris, though, missed the memo, saying, “I felt a little underdressed because I was dressed in regular clothes that day and totally forgot that it was St. Patrick’s Day.” It turned out Sandy and Lori’s luck did not run out. Lori’s kidney turned pink, produced urine, and worked perfectly when doctors attached it to Sandy. Sandy called it unusual. “Sometimes it takes a week or two weeks if it’s going to function … The doctors will say, what a miracle. Lori’s kidney was, what a fantastic match.” Sandy was more than happy to be his match. “For everything to come together, all the testing, how well we matched. That’s definitely God’s work.” In the waiting room, Chris got word of God’s work from Lori’s surgeon. And Anne got word from Sandys. Anne said she couldn’t stop crying, “And at that point, Chris came over and said, well, I’m not a hugger, but I think you need a hug.” “We’re bonded forever at this point now,” Chris said. “They’re family, and it’s great to have ’em.” That family also includes Yogi, Sandy, and Anne’s dog. Lori and Chris traveled back to Englewood to bring Yogi to Tampa, where Anne and Sandy will recover for the next month. Lori had her final check-up at Tampa General Hospital on Tuesday. Her surgeon, Dr. Chloe Wang, told us Sandy checked in on her – a lot. “How is Lori? I wish I could take away her pain. And I just tried to reassure him that she’s doing very well and that she was going to go home,” Dr. Wang explained. Dr. Wang also told us she hopes to see more miracles like Sandy and Lori’s in her operation room because without a living donor, “The average wait times are about four and a half to five years. So that’s a long time, especially if you’re already in your late 60s 70s.” This is why Dr. Wang, Lori, Chris, Sandy, and Anne wanted to share this story. Because they want all of you at home watching or reading this online to keep an open mind and heart – just like Lori. If someday you come across someone who needs a kidney. “Just please, as this airs. Everyone really, go into your heart and see if this is a possibility,” Anne pleaded. And with the full support of her husband, Chris added, “If your spouse is really wanting to do that, I mean, it’s an amazing gift, and be supportive, be there for them.” “Lori has given me life,” a joyous Sandy explained. “A life extension I wouldn’t have had.” Lori said it really hit her on Saturday, March 19, when they were being discharged, “we went up to see sandy for the first time, and he looked amazing. And like I did that, and I was actually proud of myself, and it felt good to be able to give that to him. And I’d do it all over again. For more information on the living donor program at Tampa General click here. For more information or to donate to the National Kidney Foundation click here.