Xochie Aranda was a single mother in her thirties when she first learned that she had polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder that is the fourth-leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. She was placed on the national transplant waiting list for a kidney and received a transplant in 2014. However, as a transplant recipient with an already weakened immune system, Aranda experienced an infection and issues that led to kidney failure for a second time in her life. In 2017, she was placed on the waiting list for another life-saving kidney.
Now at 53, Aranda receives dialysis treatments three times per week as she awaits a kidney transplant. She continues to stay positive with the help of her four children and three grandchildren who keep her going. She also gives back as a Donor Network West ambassador helping to share the importance of organ donation in the Hispanic community.
Aranda will be honored during the second inning at the Reno Aces’ Home Run for Life game, presented by Donor Network West, Friday, July 28, at Greater Nevada Field as the Reno Aces take on the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Her close friend’s son, Kika, will round the bases on Aranda’s behalf.
“I’m so grateful to my kidney donor’s family and for their loved one’s choice to be a donor,” Aranda said. “When I talk to people about organ donation, I tell them that being a donor is paying it forward. People can help others like me who are mothers and grandmothers.”
Of the more than 100,000 people who are waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the U.S., 85% are waiting for a kidney transplant.
Donor Network West, northern Nevada and northern California’s only federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization, is proud to support six Home Run for Life baseball games during the 2023 Aces season. Serving the northern Nevada community for more than 35 years, Donor Network West is now a finalist for the 2023 PBS Reno Spotlight Awards—it’s through community partnerships like the Reno Aces’ Home Run for Life game series that bolster the organization’s mission to save and heal lives and bring critical awareness about organ donation to the community.
“The demand for kidney transplants grows by 3,000 patients each month in the U.S., leaving thousands of people wondering and waiting for a second chance at life,” Janice Whaley, president and CEO of Donor Network West, said. “We offer our heartfelt thanks to Xochie for her courage to share her story and spread awareness of the impact of organ, eye and tissue donation. Together, with our Reno Aces partner, we come together to honor these extraordinary individuals and celebrate them.”
Once a month, the Home Run for Life game series features an individual in the northern Nevada community who is honored by taking a ceremonial trip around the bases as each team lines the baselines. Individuals recognized have received life-saving transplants, are waiting for a life-saving transplant or have lost a loved one who saved lives through organ donation.
“We’re proud to help support Donor Network West’s outreach in our community as they educate about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation,” Chris Phillips, general manager and chief operating officer for the Reno Aces said. “Seeing our fans and players cheer on the Home Run for Life game participants each month is truly inspiring and we are honored to play a role in this partnership.”
Anyone can register to be an organ donor. To learn more and to register as an organ donor, visit DonorNetworkWest.org.
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