KFDX Engineer Russ Madson Seeks Living Donor After kidney Failure Following Triple Bypass
USA: Russ Madson, a fixture behind the cameras at KFDX for nearly three decades, is urgently seeking a living donor after a cascade of medical crises left him in stage 5 renal failure. Following a triple bypass last July, clinicians discovered severe kidney failure; he now endures dialysis three days a week for four hours per session while his medical team pursues a kidney transplant. The transplantation option has become the central, time-sensitive path forward.
Madson’s wife, Deanna, and colleagues describe a dramatic change in their daily life as the once-ever-present chief engineer spends long hours in treatment rather than in the control room. A hopeful lead—Madson’s son—was declared ineligible because of prescribed medication, stripping the family of a planned living donor and intensifying the race to secure another candidate. Hospital rules require a suitable living donor for placement on the transplant list, and the family faces a three-month window to identify one.
The medical urgency is clear: without a compatible living donor, the transplant pathway could be delayed or altered, prolonging dependency on dialysis. Medical City Hospital is managing the donor evaluation and transplantation process. The station community that has relied on Madson’s technical expertise for decades has rallied in spirit, amplifying the appeal for someone willing to undergo evaluation to donate a kidney and potentially transform his prognosis.
Supporters describe the search as a difficult, deeply personal request—yet one that could save a life through the proven possibilities of living kidney donation and transplantation. The family and colleagues remain determined to exhaust every avenue and are urging community members to consider stepping forward to help.
Living Donor Guidance: Those interested can contact Medical City Hospital’s transplant program directly to learn about eligibility, evaluation steps, and next actions to begin living donor screening.
Video originally published on 2026-02-19 19:55:58
