Being a healthy, active woman in my 50s, I knew after seeing my friend’s story about needing a kidney for her daughter several times that I needed to throw my name into the hat and at least see if I was a match. It was a long journey but I indeed was a directly compatible blood match … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Natalie!
Right Kidney For The Trail On a special day, 8 February 2020, I ran my first serious run since donating my left kidney on 16 October 2019 – just 16.5 weeks later. At 73 years old, a half marathon trail run (my first trail run) on one kidney is a significant achievement. I ran the Rotorua Ultra Half, one of the more picturesque trail runs in our country, renown for … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Tom!
My name is Shannon and I am a kidney donor athlete! My journey to being an athlete and my journey to being a kidney donor started separately but on February 20, 2017, they intersected. That was the day I read on Facebook about a little girl needing a kidney. Within minutes of reading the post, I clicked … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Shannon!
I never knew how much the “Share Your Spare” panel I attended on May 2019 at the university where I work would change my life. I had two acquaintances who had previously done direct kidney donations, which got me curious, but it wasn’t until I listened to the stories of the donors and recipients on the panel that really lit something inside … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Maranda!
Come Back Ken: My road to donation may have started a little different than most but we will get there. My journey started back in May 2018 while running the Buffalo marathon. Up until this point, I was always a weekend warrior and considered myself to be a somewhat decent athlete playing lacrosse and hockey … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Ken!
My name is Jameson and I gave half of my liver to a brother in Christ, a friend, and coworker in November 2015. The road to donation was quite the unexpected journey. What sustained me through the challenge was a conviction that God had invited me to the opportunity and was with me as I … Continue reading Meet Our FIRST Liver Donor Athlete, Jameson!
The story of how someone out there is walking around with a slightly used part of me starts back in 2011. I was driving home from work, listening to This American Life. The title/theme of that show was the “Ten Commandments.” That’s when I first heard Chaya Lipschutz’s story. I had been searching for something … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Sophia!
My name is Megan Anderson and I am a wife, mother, Air Force veteran and teacher living in the Seattle area. I donated my kidney on July 17, 2019, to a stranger through the paired exchange program. Up to this point in my life, I would say I was very active. While on active duty … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Megan!
Hello, my name is Danny Ledesma and I donated my spare kidney through the paired-exchanged program at UC Health in Denver, Colorado on October 10, 2018. Shortly after my Grandfather's retirement (I refer to him hereafter as "Pop"), his health began to rapidly decline, and doctors advised he was experiencing renal failure which would require … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Danny!
I honestly knew nothing about living kidney donation when I started this journey other than it was something that people did for their loved ones (I had no idea people donated altruistically either!). This all changed when, in February of 2018, my mom called to tell me that she was in kidney failure and … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Katie!
