Resources
Additional Resources
American Transplant Foundation
Our mission is to save lives by reducing the growing list of women, men, and children who are waiting for a transplant by maximizing living organ donations. Our passion is to ensure that the transplant system is equitable for all.
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National Kidney Donation Organization
We at NKDO educate prospective living kidney donors to donate as safely and effectively as possible.
We are devoted to helping end the kidney crisis in this country.
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National Kidney Registry
The National Kidney Registry is dedicated to increasing the number of kidney transplants from living donors, improving donor-recipient matches for longer-lasting transplants, and offering protection and support to living kidney donors to make the kidney donation process safer, easier and more convenient.
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National Living Donor Assistance Center
Our mission is to reduce the financial disincentives to living organ donation. To this end, we operate a nationwide system that provides reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses, lost wages, and dependent care expenses to people being evaluated for and/or undergoing living organ donation. Priority is given to those who could not otherwise afford to donate.
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Waitlist Zero
We envision an America where no one dies because of a shortage of available kidney transplants; a world of transplant support where it is easy for patients to ask for a kidney and easy for donors to give; where donors are honored as public servants and never expect to be worse off for having saved the life of another.
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The blessings of a life-threatening illness birthing "Drive for Five" and the fellow travelers met along the way.![]()
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Say hi to Roger Harrison. This dude’s a West Virginia white-water-rafting rascal who ventured into my orbit about six months ago. We’re kindred spirits. The pharmaceutical executive received a liver transplant 2 1/2 years ago.![]()
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One’s perspective on life totally shifts upon knowing someone else, alive or deceased, shared their spares extending transplant recipients a new lease on life. The mountain-climbing man and your scribe were guests of BOLDERBoulder 10K founder Steve Bosley recently at the 45th running of America's greatest road race. ![]()
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Roger had a good visit with Olympic legend Frank Shorter, CU Super fan Peggy Coppom and many others.![]()
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Harrison moved to Colorado five years ago. He first visited as a teenager and vowed, like many considering the Centennial State mountainous beauty, “Someday I’m gonna live in Colorado.” The charismatic chap loves to boast, “Moving here was the best decision of my life because once I realized the need for a new liver, I had the great team at UCHealth caring for me.”![]()
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Throughout the ordeal, Harrison adopted a certain creed. CU Buffs fans? You’re gonna love this. “I admire the buffalo,” he says. “It doesn’t turn away from the storm. It goes straight toward it.”![]()
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When he says that? It reminds me of the great Colorado Buffaloes football teams this 67-year-old was blessed to cover back in the day for CBS News Colorado. Flying on team planes heading into hostile territory to battle Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan and Washington to name just a handful. The result? A national title and many conference crowns.![]()
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The Buffs stampeded toward the storm of talented opponents, their rabid fans and emerged victorious.![]()
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My buddy Roger’s a West Virginia University graduate with the heart of a buffalo. And, as diehard Buff fans know, the pride of a buffalo is not entrusted to the timid or weak. ![]()
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Roger Harrison, stay strong brother. Thanks for all you’re doing for the Denver Transplant Games host committee to make next summer's Transplant Life Foundation six-day sports and wellness festival, your words, “The feel good event for Denver and Colorado!” Shoulder to shoulder. SWOCE!™
It's challenging and rewarding assuming the role of chair of the Denver host committee bringing to town the Transplant Life Foundation's bi-annual sports and wellness festival. ![]()
Thanks to needing a kidney transplant and diving into this world head first? The people met along the way? Holy smokes. Precious.![]()
Here's two examples. Say hi to Nicole Nidea (left) and Sophie Renner of the organization SODA: Student Organ Donation Advocates - SODA National. We hung out together yesterday at the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations - AOPO national convention. Denver's hosting at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.![]()
SODA's mission is noble: Supporting students who want to make a difference by helping them host education and registration events and lead organ, eye, and tissue donation advocacy chapters on their high school, college, and graduate school campuses. These students' efforts save lives, build leadership skills, and create positive ripple effects throughout their communities. ![]()
Drive for Five and the entire host committee shouts to the rooftops, "SODA, way to go!"![]()
One of the goals of the host committee is to start at SODA chapter at Metropolitan State University of Denver, a host committee collaborator. The students and professors in marketing/pr are creating a wellness campaign geared toward young adults encouraging wellness and avoiding high blood pressure, diabetes and excessive weight.![]()
America needs its young adults healthy and educated about donations. SODA's making it happen. SWOCE!™
People are up early on Mondays when something stirs their souls. Phone and email blowing up this morning with, "Mac, did you see the story on CBS Mornings yesterday (Sunday) about the dialysis world?"![]()
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Yep. Hometown DaVita Kidney Care and Europe-based Fresenius Medical Care took a beating for allegedly, "Putting profits before patients." Bad publicity.![]()
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It is not my story. Once diagnosed with Amyloidosis and requiring dialysis because a rare, hard to pronounced and incurable bone marrow disorder was destroying my kidneys? UCHealth and subcontractor Fresenius took wonderful care of me. Kept me alive.![]()
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Even more? Developed wonderful relationships with the care providers for hemodialysis and peritoneal. In fact, "Momma Chaz" (far right) was with me on the field at Coors Field as the Colorado Rockies hosted their first Living Donor Awareness Game on a chilly night in April. ![]()
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I owe my life to the dialysis world. The journalist within wonders, "What are the demographics of the recipients of the billions in dollars of settlement fees forked over by the dominant industry forces?![]()
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It makes me think of six wonderful human beings your scribe grew close to during nine months of hemodialysis. Three times a week, at 5am, we'd gather at a Fresenius facility in east Aurora. Waiting for the doors to fling open for the live-saving treatment? Not surprisingly we became close. Fighting to live does wonders for the camaraderie. Bonds were made. All my new-found friends were of color and arrived for treatment via Medicaid-provided transportation. ![]()
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End stage renal disease devastates communities of color.![]()
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The report revealed what "Drive for Five"'s been talking about based upon my personal experience. End stage renal disease requiring dialysis is bad and getting worse. Respected estimates say today there's about 550,000 Americans on dialysis. That number's expected to zoom to ONE MILLION in the next decade. What? Why? ![]()
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Lifestyle. High blood pressure, diabetes and excessive weight are horrible for our organs, especially kidneys. When speaking about bringing the Transplant Life Foundation's sports festival to Denver in '26, I sincerely say, "If you play the market? Invest in the renal care industry. It's good and getting better."![]()
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Dialysis saved my bacon. Forever grateful and sure hope the biggies in the industry see the value in sponsoring what promises to be a wonderful celebration of life coming to Denver in June of next year.![]()
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Recipients like me say thank you to the donors, deceased donor families and health care world, including the dialysis folks. Without them? Ain't writing this.![]()
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Folks, we've got a growing kidney crisis in our land. Dialysis is in high demand. I know personally that's it's life-saving. A saying from my childhood emerges, "Don't complain. Do something about it." ![]()
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DFF's trying and proud to lead the charge for the host committee in bringing this wonderful six-day event to Colorado in less than a year