COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — April is recognized as National Donate Life Month, aiming to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage Americans to register as organ donors. April 2 marks Donate Life Donor Day, a time to highlight the importance of organ donation.
Rick and Tracey Ridpath have helped others by donating organs. Rick, who underwent surgery recently, is a two-time living organ donor.
"It's my first day out and about since my surgery," Rick said. "So I’m moving a little slow."
Tracey, who donated one of her kidneys in 2016 in memory of a friend who passed away from bladder cancer, shared the couple's mission. "It is a special month and we just really want people to know what you can do, spread awareness, spread awareness," she said.
Rick started his journey by supporting Tracey during her donation process.
"I said, we’re going to get you done and then I’ll get lined up and I’ll do it," Rick recalled.
Nine months after Tracey's donation, he donated one of his kidneys on Dec. 19.
"We could change somebody’s life. Change somebody’s world and why wouldn’t we want to do that?" Rick said.
The Ridpaths, both educators with decades of teaching experience, weren't deterred by nerves during their respective surgeries.
"He was nervous when I did my surgery and I was nervous when he did his surgery. But for ourselves, I don’t think ever wavered," Tracey stated.
Last year, after speaking in church about their kidney donations, Rick felt compelled to donate part of his liver. "I just had this overwhelming feeling of, wait a minute, why not me?" he said. His liver donation took place on March 18, and he made a video for his sixth-grade students explaining his absence from school, including information about how the liver regenerates.
Both have communicated with the recipients of their kidney donations.
"So he’s met those people through Facebook and a phone call. And I’ve met my person, in person and still keep in touch with her," Tracey said.
While they understand the significance of the decision to become a living donor, Rick acknowledged that it's not for everyone.
"I understand that this journey, this calling, isn’t for everybody. I accept that. But you know, if somebody's watching this... You have the chance to change somebody's life and maybe even save somebody's life and maybe this is a road you can take,” he said.
Currently, more than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, with nearly 90% awaiting a kidney. In 2024, over 7,000 lives were saved by living donors.
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