Mark McIntosh, former host of Colorado and Company, recently returned to the set to share his journey since leaving the show. Now the managing editor of Drive for Five Network, McIntosh has been raising awareness about organ donation following his diagnosis with a rare bone marrow disorder called amyloidosis. The condition, which affects only about 100,000 people worldwide, severely damaged his kidneys, leading him to undergo chemotherapy and dialysis. Despite getting the amyloidosis under control, McIntosh is now in need of a kidney transplant.
Inspired by his Friday morning Bible study group, McIntosh launched the Drive for Five Network, aiming to leverage his communication skills and social media presence to find 5,000 potential kidney donors. This initiative is crucial as the United States faces a significant shortage of kidney donors, with around 990,000 people in need of transplants but only about 25,000 transplants performed annually. The majority of these transplants come from deceased donors, and the number of living donors has remained stagnant at approximately 6,000 per year for the past 25 years.
McIntosh’s efforts are focused on encouraging more people to consider becoming organ donors, emphasizing that healthy individuals can “share their spare” to save lives. With rising cases of type 2 diabetes and subsequent kidney disease in the country, the demand for organ donors is increasing, making awareness campaigns like Drive for Five Network more critical than ever.
