About a year ago I decided to take up the sport of running and made the goal to run a marathon before I turned 30. When I discussed my interest in potentially running the marathon this year with friends their were 4 other girls interested so we decided that we would all do it together.   The charity I have decided to run for is the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. This organization holds a special place in my heart as I have worked in the organ tranplant field for the last five years. For the first 4 years I worked for the Gift of Hope as a kidney placer and then as the supervisor of kidney placement. In this position, I would see the “list” and would get to work with the coordinators that would be excited when we had a kidney for one of their patients. Currently as a tranplant coordinator at Children’s Memorial Hospital, I now see patients waiting for a kidney transplant and have the opportunity to experience the excitement with families when their child is transplanted. 

. With over 80,000 people waiting nationally for a kidney, the NKFI works hard to promote organ donation awareness and also services the public with many programs to help in the prevention of kidney diseases through their high blood pressure and diabetes screenings. They are also leaders in their support of research of kidney diseases and provide support for individuals and families with kidney diseases.