Lucy Reyes Salazar Leads New Mexico Push To Send Team N‑M To Transplant Games
USA: Lucy Reyes Salazar, a kidney transplant recipient, is helping lead Team N‑M’s drive to return New Mexico to the Transplant Games of America in Denver this June. The campaign has become a focal point for a growing network of living donors, recipients and donor families across the state working to spotlight transplantation and post‑transplant life.
Reyes Salazar’s own medical journey began with a 2010 diagnosis of diabetes and advancing kidney failure. After dramatic weight loss and intensive care that delayed dialysis, she remained on the transplant waiting list for six and a half years before receiving a living donor kidney on October 21, 2021. Her kidney function has stabilized near pre‑illness levels, and she now mentors prospective donors and recipients.
The push to revive Team N‑M was co‑managed by Mark Rodriguez, a double‑lung transplant recipient whose vision for an active, visible transplant community helped recruit athletes and families. Rodriguez passed away last month, and his leadership has been succeeded by teammates including Reyes Salazar and Daniel Talavera. Talavera’s family mobilized after his brother Bill died unexpectedly in 2022 and saved four lives through organ donation; the family started a memorial car show and formed Give To Live to help cover transplant‑related expenses for recipients.
Local supporters have rallied with small grants, grassroots fundraisers and donated services to help defray travel and registration costs. A local host offered a community “pay it forward” gift to the Talavera family, and Talavera is donating business profits to team fundraising. Organ donation, transplantation and the people whose lives they touch remain at the heart of Team N‑M’s effort to reach the Games. Supporters can connect with Team N‑M and Give To Live on social media for ways to help.
Video originally published on 2026-04-07 00:59:18
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