Living Kidney Donor Joins Kidney Donor Athletes In Kilimanjaro Climb To Spotlight Donation On World Kidney Day

Woman Who Donated kidney To Her Mother Climbs Kilimanjaro To Promote Living Donation

USA: A woman who donated a kidney to her mother is taking her advocacy to new heights by joining a team of donor athletes attempting Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of living donor transplantation. The personal act of donation transformed her life and career, and she plans to use the high-profile climb to highlight needs in kidney transplant care and donor support.

Her transplant went well, and she will mark a 14-year kidney anniversary in May, crediting the procedure with restoring her mother’s health. That experience also propelled her into a professional role: she has spent the past seven years working as a kidney transplant coordinator, guiding patients through evaluation, surgery, and follow-up. Her dual perspective as both donor and coordinator informs her advocacy for better resources for donors, who she says often lack the same attention given to recipients.

The climb is organized by kidney Donor Athletes, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gathers living kidney donors worldwide for events that honor donation and build community. About 15 donors from across the globe will meet on Kilimanjaro, aiming to reach the summit on World kidney Day, March 12. The event is part of broader outreach to raise funds and visibility for living donation, emphasizing the physical and emotional resilience of donors and the critical gap in support services available to them.

She urges anyone who can consider living donation to explore options: donors can save the life of a loved one, serve as altruistic donors who benefit strangers, or initiate a kidney swap chain that enables multiple transplants. Living donor transplantation remains one of the most effective ways to shorten wait times and expand access to kidney transplants.

Video originally published on 2026-02-27 16:32:46