Hugh Macdonald, Mike Macdonald's 'Steadying Force,' Needs A Kidney, But This Isn't About Him
Seahawks.com senior reporter, John Boyle spoke with head coach Mike Macdonald's father, Hugh about his battle with kidney disease to help spread awareness on veterans that need kidneys.
Before he would share his story, he wanted readers to know the focus of the story wasn't about him.
Boyle wrote:
"That's why he'd rather you pause reading this story and head to dovetransplant.org where you can learn how to help veterans in need of a kidney donation . Done? OK, you can keep reading this story now.
Despite an active lifestyle that includes a shared love of golf with Mike, Hugh developed hypertension in recent years, which in turn led to kidney disease that progressed rapidly enough that, this spring, he was told he needed to go on dialysis and would eventually need a kidney donation.
Macdonald's story, and that of many other veterans needing a kidney donation, is told at DOVE, an organization that’s goal is to find, educate and support prospective living donors for veterans in need of a kidney donation.
Hugh Macdonald would love it if someone read his story and was inspired to see if they are a viable candidate for donation, but he'd also be just as thrilled if that donation helps another veteran in need as he would if it were a match for him.
"Veterans do so many things for our country, here's a way people might be able to pay it back to the many veterans who are in need," he said. "I want to make people aware that there are ways that you can help other people that you might never even know about and give a tremendous gift. When you do that, the lives you impact and improve and help, you can't imagine the difference that makes."
Read more here about Hugh’s story, as well as two Seahawks employees who share their own story with kidney disease and kidney donating.