David Wood rode bulls at 18, spent 37 years on the railroad, and has always been a farmer and rancher at heart. Farmers and ranchers know what it means to show up when a neighbor needs help. David has done that his whole life. Now he needs someone to show up for him.
About David Wood
These days, David Wood’s toughest fight is kidney failure, and he’s hoping someone will show up for him the way he’s always shown up for his neighbors.
At 18, David started riding bulls and worked for Union Pacific Railroad as a boilermaker/blacksmith. He’s also a farmer and rancher, and in a farming community, people look out for each other. If a neighbor needs something welded, built, or fixed, David is the first to lend a hand, even on days he doesn’t feel well.
He’s a husband, dad, and pawpaw who coached his kids’ teams, spent weekends at the lake, and loved trail rides with his buddies. Now nothing means more to him than time with his granddaughter and grandson, and he wants to be around to watch them grow up.
After losing one kidney to cancer in 2017, David’s remaining kidney began to fail in 2022. He’s now on dialysis four times a week, and his wife, Jenny, trained for six weeks so she could give him his treatments at home.
“I still want to be active,” David says. “Now, my mind says ‘Go,’ but my body says ‘No.’”
Farmers and ranchers know what it means to show up when a neighbor needs help. David has done that his whole life. Now he needs someone to show up for him, and a living donor could give him back the time he’s worked so hard for.
Do you want to help David? Please share the link to David’s story or email Kidneys for Communities at info@kidneysforcommunities.org to learn more about how you can help. The Kidneys for Communities team is here to answer your questions.
How you can help
The process starts with a simple online questionnaire, followed by a phone interview with a transplant coordinator, both of which are completely confidential.
Please also share this website with everyone in your social channels and others who may be interested in helping us out.
KIDNEY DONATION
How does kidney donation work?
A donor doesn’t need to be an exact match. In fact, because of the Nobel Prize-winning paired kidney exchange program, your kidney donation will not only save one life, but it will save several more in the chain.
Living kidney donation is safe, and all costs associated with your donation are covered. Living donor kidneys also last much longer than deceased donor kidneys. A deceased donor kidney transplant, on average, lasts 10-15 years, while a living donor transplant lasts 12-20 years.
Kidneys for Communities® Donor Benefits
Donating a kidney is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling acts someone can do.
Kidneys for Communities can help you through the process to help save a life, but we know there are many obstacles that can be prohibitive to the donor. At Kidneys for Communities, we take care of our donors with the industry’s most complete donor benefits package:
Onboarding and education
Personalized guidance through the donation process
Anonymity
Cost reimbursements:
Travel, food & lodging, lost wages, child, pet and adult care