As a child, Chris (center) was diagnosed with Alport Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause hearing loss, eye abnormalities, and kidney disease. By the time he was a sophomore in college, doctors told Chris his kidneys were beginning to fail. As his condition worsened, Chris decided it was time to get a transplant. Fortunately, his father was a match. At 21, Chris received a life-saving transplant at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City. Following his transplant, Chris became active in the Transplant Games of America­. He began competing across the country with other transplant recipients and donors, and became team manager of Team MO KAN. This past summer, Chris brought home two silver medals for basketball and pickleball as part of Team MO KAN’s impressive total medal count of 76. “Without this gift, I wouldn’t have been able to have a job, travel the world, meet my wife, get married, and have three wonderful children and two beautiful grandchildren," Chris said. KSHB 41 recently visited Chris and Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, a transplant surgeon, to talk about the importance of organ donation. Watch their inspiring story: https://heyor.ca/OQ8h8Z (fb)

Saint Luke’s Foundation staff know the importance of giving—they encourage it 365 days a year. This April, they spent a day giving back to Christmas in October, an organization that helps rebuild houses, lives, and neighborhoods in Kansas City. The group spent the day making repairs, doing yard work, and painting at the home of Kansas City resident Emma. She was so grateful for the Foundation's enthusiasm and passion for making her home improvements. #TeamSaintLukes 💙 (fb)