FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Amarillo Living Kidney Donor Competing in Transplant Games of America
Contact:
Kaci Alvarado
kacialvarado@gmail.com
Amarillo, TX – April 2024 – Kaci Alvarado, a living kidney donor athlete from Amarillo, will be competing in the 2024 Transplant Games of America in Birmingham, Alabama, July 5-10.
While Paris gears up for the Olympic spectacle, the U.S. is also getting ready to host an equally inspiring athletic event – The Transplant Games of America.
The Transplant Games of America is a national, multi-sport event that celebrates the lives of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, individuals on the waiting list, caregivers, and transplant professionals. The Games are held every two years and bring together thousands of people from all over the country.
Kaci is a living donor who donated a kidney altruistically in 2013. She is excited to compete in the Transplant Games of America as a member of Team Texas and to represent the living donor community as well as the Panhandle Spirit.
Donating her kidney changed Kaci’s life in so many ways. She went to nursing school and now works for LifeGift as a Family Care Specialist, supporting donor families every day. Transplant is not just her job but her true passion in life.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Transplant Games of America,” said Kaci. “It is an honor to represent the living donor community and to celebrate the gift of life. I am looking forward to competing and meeting other transplant athletes from all over the country as well as raising awareness for transplant.”
Kaci is a member of Team Texas Life Warriors. She will be competing in the 20k bicycle race.
The Transplant Games of America are a great way to raise awareness of organ donation and transplantation. Kaci hopes that her participation in the Games will inspire others to register as organ donors and to consider giving as a living donor. As of January 2024, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reported that 103,932 people are on the national transplant waiting list, with 58,830 of those being active candidates. This means that every nine minutes, someone is added to the list.
“Organ donation is a life-saving gift,” said Kaci. “I encourage everyone to register as an organ and tissue donor. You could save up to 8 lives and improve up to 75 others.”
To learn more about the Transplant Games of America, please visit https://www.transplantgamesofamerica.org/.