Theron Hayes has gone above and beyond to make a life-changing difference. He donated a kidney in 2023, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail to raise awareness for living kidney donation with sponsorship from the National Kidney Registry, and is now preparing to donate a portion of his liver to a stranger.
Hayes’ kidney donation journey began one day in 2023 when he was driving on the highway in Orange County, California. He saw a banner on an overpass that read, “Wife Needs Kidney – Type O Blood.” According to Hayes, his first thought was, “How terrible for them to have to go through that.” Then he realized, “I’m type O. I could help.”
Hayes researched kidney donation to learn more about the process, including the potential impact on the donor. “I guess I was sort of looking for an out, but there was no out,” said Hayes. “I learned that you can donate a kidney and still live a full, healthy, active life.”
After calling the number on the banner and reaching out to the recipient’s transplant center, he was tested and deemed a match, although he had decided he would donate through the Voucher Program if he wasn’t a match. Hayes donated his kidney on July 26, 2023.
Following his donation, Hayes went on to complete the remarkable feat of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a 2,653-mile journey from Mexico to Canada. Starting his hike just nine months after donating a kidney, he completed the trail in 108 days, with 10 of those days spent recovering or doing interviews to raise awareness about organ donation.
The NKR’s support was crucial in enabling Hayes to complete the journey, due to the extensive gear required and the need to carry as little weight as possible. “You need such specific gear,” Hayes explained. It’s the most expensive way to be homeless you can imagine. The key is to be as light as possible, because when you’re hiking up to 35 miles a day, the difference between carrying 25 pounds and 40 pounds can determine whether you finish the hike and avoid injury. The NKR’s sponsorship helped me stay light and prepared.”
When you’re hiking the full length of the PCT, every ounce counts. In addition to his lightweight gear, Hayes had an extra weight advantage—his kidney donation made him 5 ounces lighter. Most hikers aiming to complete the entire PCT get a trail name: Hayes’ was “ultralight.”
As he hiked, Hayes shared his story and encouraged others to become organ donors. He wore a hat and sun hoody labeled with a “Hike for Life” logo he created, which served as a great conversation starter on the trail. “That was probably the most rewarding thing for me,” said Hayes. “You’re walking 10 hours a day and you just have such great conversations. I had several people say they wanted to be tested to be donors. That was so touching for me because I was out here to raise awareness.
One woman who, after hearing his story, was quiet for a moment, then said, “I think you’ve changed the trajectory of my life.”
Hers wasn’t the only life that was changed. Hayes himself received an unexpected benefit from his kidney donation. “I thought I was doing this altruistic thing to help someone, and I was, but I was also changing the way I view myself for the better. It was a gift I gave to myself that I didn’t know I was giving. Now, I get to go through my life knowing I helped someone just because I can, and that is profound for me.”
This feeling motivated Hayes to continue his donation journey. “I felt like I was having a positive effect in the world, and it galvanized in me a desire to have as much of a positive impact as I can.”
He is now preparing to donate a portion of his liver. He had read there was an age cutoff for liver donation, so he consulted kidney and liver double donor Mark Scotch. “Oh no,” Scotch said, “call Keck—they love old guys like us.” Hayes has now completed his testing at Keck Medicine of USC and is waiting to hear from the surgical team about next steps.
For more information about Hayes’ journey, visit his Hike for Life Facebook page.
About the National Kidney Registry
The National Kidney Registry (www.kidneyregistry.com) is an organization whose mission is to save and improve the lives of people facing kidney failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.
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