Belmont Cameli is about to become a superstar thanks to his leading role on Prime Video's new hockey romance series Off Campus. But for seven people, Belmont has been a superstar for over six years, after taking part in organ donation chain as a teenager.
In 2018, just before his 20th birthday, Belmont – whose real name is Philip – decided to see if he was a match for his childhood friend Brendan Flaherty, who had gone into kidney failure and needed dialysis every day.
© Belmont CameliBelmont was not a match, but doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago matched the teen with Clotilde Ruiz, and as part of a complicated chain, seven patients – including Brendan – received new kidneys.
Belmont posted about his good deed on social media in 2018, sharing a carousel of pictures of him in the hospital after the operation, and posing with Brendan, with the pair holding up t-shirts, with Brendan's reading "contains recycled parts" and Belmont's featuring the quote: "Of course I'm an organ donor, who wouldn't want a piece of this?"
© Belmont Cameli"Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity and privilege to save a life," the then-student wrote. "The fact of the matter is that most of us have two good kidneys, but thousands of people struggle to live day to day with only one failing kidney."
The then-19-year-old shared the statistic that "every day, 20 people die waiting for a kidney transplant," with many waiting, on average, almost four years on a waitlist before they are matched.
He continued: "Fortunately, after six years of strenuous waiting and anticipation, Brendan has been gifted the organ he has so long awaited, and my new friend Clotilde will finally have a healthy kidney and a fresh new start to life. I am so grateful to be a part of this swap program involving 14 people and blessing 7 patients with new organs and brighter futures."
© Belmont Cameli"Soon my pain will disappear, and my scars will fade away, but the love in my heart from this experience will forever remain," he concluded.
In 2026, waitlists can now exceed five years in some areas, and, on average, over 100,000 people need a kidney transplant each year, with less than 20 per cent receiving one, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a private, nonprofit agency.
© Liane Hentscher/PrimeBelmont was raised outside of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois as a business major for one year before dropping out to pursue modeling. In 2019, he moved to Los Angele to pursue acting, and now he is starring in Off Campus, which premiered on May 13, 2026.
The 10-part series is based on Elle Kennedy's 2015 hockey romance book The Deal and follows the lives of college students Garrett Graham (Belmont), Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), John Logan (Antonio Cipriani), Dean DiLaurentis (Stephen Kalyn), Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla), and John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks).
Anyone, regardless of age or medical history, can register to be a donor, potentially saving up to 8 lives. Register at RegisterMe.org or through the DMV.
