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Kidney Donor Athletes
Athlete Archive
J’ne’s training for Kili Climb
I’m not sure what came over me when I applied to climb Kilimanjaro with KDA. I only knew that if I was accepted, it would be a new adventure with a supportive group of people that would help me get there. My initial feelings when considering kidney donation were...
Meet Kili Climber Mike
Mike was inspired to donate because his wife, Annie, needed a kidney. She was in stage 5 renal failure; the next step was dialysis. He tried to be a direct donor but was not a match. He learned of “paired match,” give a kidney, get a kidney as part of a...
Kathryn “Why NOt” Donor & Kili Climber
Kathryn was inspired to donate after reading about her recipient who had been on home dialysis for more than four years. She immediately asked if this is something she could do and felt that this person was as deserving of a new lease on life as anyone she was...
meet kili climber chris
Chris was inspired to donate when he watched an interview on the news in 2017. Donating was not something he had thought much about before that day. That interview stirred up a strong sense to give. He had been blessed with good health and it felt...
Shannon’s Cause for climbing
Shannon knew at a young age that she might one day need to donate a kidney to her brother after he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Decades later, after a bone marrow donation was abruptly canceled, she knew it was time to donate a kidney. Her brother didn’t need...
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, KRissi!
We found out when my stepdaughter was in middle school that she would need a kidney at some point. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease. Our goal was for her to get through high school and then have the transplant. Two of her blood-related family members went...
Samantha’s calling & Kili Climb
Samantha Carreiro was inspired to donate when she watched a friend pass away while searching for a bone marrow donor when she was younger. That experience changed her outlook on life and she knew in the future that given the chance to save another life while...
Matt’s bucket list: save lives & climb Kilimanjaro
Matthew was inspired to donate by his father who passed away from End-Stage-Renal-Disease. As the oldest of three children, Matthew felt he was the most likely candidate to donate a kidney to his father but views it as a missed opportunity because his father...
Meet Kili Climber Patty
Patty and other One Kidney Climbers met in Denver recently to train for the Kilimanjaro climb. Patty talked with the NBC affiliate in Denver about her upcoming journey. Patty was inspired to donate by her sister, who donated to their stepfather 15 years earlier. ...
Rebekah’s Run for Mt. Kilimanjaro
I would not call myself a hiker, but when the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with a group of fellow kidney donors came my way, it was not difficult to say YES to this incredible adventure, and do what I could to become a hiker. So here I am, fundraising,...
Emily’s Journey to Kilimanjaro
My name is Emily, and I have never been a mountain climber. In fact, I have a very vivid memory of the summer of 2008, when I was interning in Uganda: I went with a group of friends to climb a small mountain (more of a hill, really). At that time, I was not at all...
Message from KDA President Bobby McLaughlin
What do you do in times of COVID when you're seeking to create some connection with others? Six of us at Kidney Donor Athletes decided to organize and participate in a virtual Yahtzee tournament where we would play each other in a tournament format, keeping track of...
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Alvin – From Malaysia!
Hello KDA community, my name is Alvin and I am writing this all the way from Malaysia! Everyone has their goals in each day of life, and I am into running activities and cycling. In 2017, I decided to be a runner and now running is my passion....
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Nicole!
Have you ever met someone and you know right away they are a genuine, good person? This happened when I met my friend Kevin back in 2016. At the time, Kevin was living a full, active life and had previously received a kidney transplant from his college...
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Mandy!
I donated a kidney to my Mom on October 26th, 2011 and October is a very big month for my family as we celebrate our 10-year Kidneyversary!! I donated at the age of 29 and I had already had one child, my son Jude. My mom has the...