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She did it! Local doctor with one kidney scales Mt. Kilimanjaro to dispell organ donation myths

KSAT has followed Dr. Kelley Hitchman’s journey from base to summit

SAN ANTONIO – KSAT caught an interview with living organ donor and doctor Kelley Hitchman before she headed to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

We followed Hitchman’s journey as she made her way to the summit and back, all for a personal and global cause.

As planned, she reached the summit on World Kidney Day in six and a half days. Then, it took her a day and a half to go down.

Wednesday was her first day back in her University Hospital lab, adjusting to her routine.

“I’m happy to be back. Just tired. They say it takes a few days to acclimate from the altitude,” Hitchman said.

“This is Barranco Wall. This is that 800-foot vertical,” she said, zooming into a picture on her phone. “You can’t really see, but those are little people scaling the wall.”

Hitchman climbed to prove a life-saving point: you can donate an organ and still live life without limits.

In 2021, Hitchman donated a kidney to a complete stranger.

She’s the director of the University Health Transplant Institute HLA Lab, which matches organ donors with potential recipients.

She works closely with patients and has seen them suffer.

“It’s got to be terribly frightening. And then to go on the deceased donor waitlist and be told that the average wait time in the nation is five to seven years has to be unbelievably daunting,” Hitchman said.

That’s why the team of 13 kidney donors and one surgeon climbed Kilimanjaro for the 100,000 patients on the donor waitlist.

They are all part of an organization called Kidney Donor Athletes.

“I can say, without a doubt, donating a kidney is far easier than climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro,” Hitchman said.

She’s now living proof that people can donate an organ and still have a full life.

“A full life with no additional medication, no dietary changes, no changes to your physical fitness routine, no limits,” she said.

If this story gets you thinking about donating and want more information, click on this link.

If you’re already decided to become a living organ donor, click here.


About the Authors
Courtney Friedman headshot

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.

Luis Cienfuegos headshot

Luis Cienfuegos is a photographer at KSAT 12.

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