Family organizes race to help local man who needs second kidney transplant

Rick and Kristy McKiddy with their two sons Logan and Rex.

On May 19th at 6:00 pm, people throughout the tri-county area will gather at the CHS track in Corbin in support of Rick McKiddy at the Transplant Hope for Rick 2-Mile Run/Walk.

McKiddy is preparing to undergo his second kidney transplant after his body rejected the first transplant he received four years ago from his wife Kristy Logan McKiddy.

Kristy’s sister, Paula Newman, is now donating one of her kidneys through a paired organ donation. A paired organ donation is when a list of sponsors "trade" organs so the correct match can be provided. Newman will be giving her kidney to someone who can use her DNA and blood type, in exchange for a kidney that will be more compatible with McKiddy’s DNA and blood type.

McKiddy plans on having his second kidney transplant at Indiana University in Indianapolis. The hospital has new treatments that the family hopes will be more effective. The family will have to travel back and forth many times and reside in Indianapolis for several weeks when McKiddy has his transplant.

When McKiddy found out about his first kidney failure, doctors thought it could easily be removed without a problem. Instead, they found that McKiddy had been born with only one kidney and a transplant would be necessary. While the first failure had been caused by previous health complications, McKiddy said the transplant failing came as a shock to doctors, especially since his body had accepted it for such a long period of time.

Rick and Kristy McKiddy have two young children: Logan 10 and Rex 6. Kristy said the children have been handling it very well and the family really tries to have a positive attitude about everything.

"There is nothing negative in our home," said McKiddy.

Besides the event being a support base for McKiddy, the Circuit Clerk will also have a table set up for Trust For Life which will give out information on being an organ donor to help families like the McKiddys.

"We were hoping for at least 20 sponsors," said Kristy, "but we quickly exceeded that number. The strong support we receive is what gets us through."

Anyone is welcome to attend the 2-mile run/walk and support Rick McKiddy: all of the support is very much appreciated by the family.

The family also wanted to share the message that gets them through every day:

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."