Six Living Kidney Donors & Two Kidney Recipients Featured on Today Show
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 1, 2016 – Five living kidney donors and one kidney recipient ran the nearly 200-mile, overnight Ragnar Relay So Cal from Huntington Beach to San Diego to raise awareness that people can still lead normal, healthy lives after donation and to inspire others to take action in support of living and deceased donation. The group was later featured on the Today show (video above).
Over the course of two days and one night, each participant on team “One Kidney Run” ran six times, with each leg ranging between three and twelve miles, varying in difficulty. In addition, one kidney recipient and one living kidney donor supported the team as van drivers.
Participants included:
- Randy Fleet (San Diego), who received a kidney from his brother
- Kathy Vochoska (Bakersfield) and Rebecca Clark (Laguna Niguel), who donated to their sons
- Fernando Landeros (South El Monte), who donated to a friend
- Ivan Sablan (Escondido) of the San Diego Police Dept., who donated to a stranger.
- Sal Torres (Chico), a kidney and pancreas recipient via a deceased donor.
- Jelani Polk (Bakersfield), a two-time kidney recipient via a deceased and a living donor
- Lorena Rodriguez (San Diego), who donated a kidney to a stranger.
Special thanks to Sunroad Automotive and Pacific Honda in San Diego and Motor City Buick GMC in Bakersfield for supporting team One Kidney Run by providing vehicles to shuttle the runners along the route.
