Drive for Five: Ties That Bind

Sunday afternoons in the fall can be glorious. Such was the case this past weekend in the Mile High City. Sunny and cool. The colors of the season blazingly abundant. A perfect time for more than a thousand - record crowd and fundraising - to gather for the 2024 Kidney Walk.

"Drive for Five" was blessed to support this effort of the AdventHealth Colorado Transplant Institute at Porter and the National Kidney Foundation . Little did your correspondent know the vibe of the moment would return incredible blessings for a 66-year-old dude with a new lease on life thanks to Cathie Hitchcock, the angel in my midst who shared her spare.

Let’s start with the guy pictured above, Mark. Nurse supervisor at the Fresenius renal care facility where, for nine months, this ol’ jock went every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings for hemodialysis. Four hours daily. This fine fella cared for a sickly chap, and many others, at a facility keeping humans alive by filtering wastes from our bodies ailing kidneys cannot. A wonderful husband, dad and talented professional. I never had any doubt the staff he led didn’t have my best interests at heart throughout treatments.

Seconds after bumping into Mark? Luck would have it to meet more people wandering through my orbit standing in front of the AdventHealth booth at the event. I was handing out dog biscuits to canine lovers who brought pets and engaging folks with the question, “What brings you here on a beautiful morning like this?”

Everyone’s story linked to kidney disease. Donors, recipients, those seeking someone to share their spare, those on dialysis and some on the verge of needing it. Last but certainly not least, those present in memory of a loved one lost to a growing menace in our land.

DFF talks about numbers often. 93,000 Americans need a kidney transplant. There’s only about 27,000 transplants annually. The list is growing. Demand far exceeds supply. We only have about 27,000 transplants a year, most deceased donors. The needle hasn’t moved for live organ donations for almost a quarter of a century. We’re stuck at about 6,500 a year. No movement in 25 years? That’s crazy.

Being a former TV sportscaster in Denver, it was fun to banter with many donning Broncos gear in anticipation of the beloved Donkeys playing the despised Raiders later in the day at Empower Field. Even saw a few brave Silver and Black fans wearing their team colors during the walk. There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. I've crossed it many times!

But this was a moment in time where long-held devotion to a favorite sports team played no role in the spirit of coming together to support what this gathering and DFF are about: inspiring more live organ donations, advocating for better policies encouraging more participation and educating folks about the dangers of the terrible trio of kidney killers: High blood pressure, diabetes and excessive weight. Interested in sharing your spare? Here's where to get started: https://shorturl.at/Y759L

America’s lifestyle is making a bad health crisis even worse. We have 550,000 on dialysis right now. That number’s expected to rise to a million in the next decade if we don’t alter diets, get more exercise and keep the weight in check. A conversation with a woman teetering on the verge of needing dialysis really rattled my bones. “Mark, I know I need to get more exercise but it’s been tough.” I gave her a big ol’ hug and offered, “Whatever DFF can do to help, let me know!”

It seems long ago, but at the first of this year, this grateful Missourian switched from hemodialysis to peritoneal as the bridge to the June 12th transplant. I’ve written about this before, but the first day of meeting with the Fresenius peritoneal team, yours truly fainted into the arms of a caregiver. Low blood pressure. “Mark, I was in the facility that day. You scared the hell out of a lot of folks.” Brenda knows, she was there.

We laughed heartily. What a journey. Amyloidosis destroys kidneys. Mac needs chemo, dialysis and, eventually, the life-saving gift. The people met along the way. Awesome human beings instrumental in restoring my health and the health of others. Incredibly blessed by the ties that bind.