Five years ago, everything changed with a single phone call. My brother — who had spent more than two decades running toward emergencies as a firefighter and first responder — suddenly found himself facing one of his own. He told me he had been diagnosed with kidney disease. He tried to reassure me, the way first responders always do, but I could hear the fear tucked between his words.
In that moment, something settled in my heart. If the day ever came when he needed a kidney, I would be there. Not because I’m a hero — but because he has spent his life being one.
That day did come. And when it did, the decision wasn’t complicated. It was love. It was family. It was the belief that when someone who has spent their life saving others needs saving themselves, you step forward.
Becoming my brother’s living kidney donor was one of the greatest honors of my life. That gift allowed him not only to survive, but to return to the work that defines him — serving his community with the same courage he’s always shown. Today, he’s back with his crew, back in the firehouse, back to being the hero he’s always been. And every time I see him in that uniform, I’m reminded that I may not be a first responder… but my kidney is!
But our story is just one of thousands. More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Most of them are waiting for a kidney. Living donors change those stories. And communities — people who show up, give, share, and support — make those stories possible.
That’s why I created Team: Dawn’s One Kidney Run. It’s more than a fundraiser; it’s a celebration of second chances, of resilience, of the quiet bravery that lives in families, neighbors, and strangers who choose to help.
Thank you for standing with us — and for believing in the power of giving life.
