In Rochester, Organ Trail donors meet the boy they helped save

ROCHESTER – Mark Scotch has traveled thousands of miles on his mountain bike to raise awareness of the need for kidney donations. He wasn’t going to let a little rain ruin his morning ride to the Mayo Clinic.

Soaked and smiling, Scotch, of Plover, Wis., arrived in downtown Rochester Monday as part of a three-week, 1,173-mile trip through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Scotch was joined by a half-dozen Mayo cyclists who braved the rain to ride about 15 miles from Stewartville to the steps of the Mayo building.

Their goal was to draw attention to the urgent need for organ donation. In the United States, more than 100,000 people now need an organ transplant, according to federal statistics. Around 17 people die every day while waiting for a transplant.

“As crazy as it sounds, we think it’s a problem that can be solved,” said Scotch, who rides for the organization he founded, the Organ Trail. “There are thousands, if not millions, of people right now who could be living donors who are unaware that this need exists.”

Scotch’s journey to becoming a living donor began in 2020 when he met a man in a Louisiana bar who told him he was on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. Scotch wanted to help, so he signed up to become what’s called a voucher giver. Over a two-year period, Scotch was matched with a patient from New York and successfully donated his kidney; Meanwhile, Louisiana friend Hugh Smith was given priority for a transplant thanks to Scotch’s voucher.

“Living donation is not for everyone,” Scotch said. “But we’re trying to send the message: Go get evaluated. You don’t know until you’re evaluated. Then you can decide if you want to move forward.”

Now a double living donor, Scotch is accompanied on his bicycle journey by his wife, Lynn. In 2023, Lynn also donated her kidney to a patient in Illinois and gave her voucher to an infant in Maple Grove.

On Monday, the experience of becoming a living donor came full circle for Mark and Lynn. Cooper Thompson, the Maple Grove boy who received Lynn’s voucher and eventual transplant, was on hand to greet Mark and Lynn as they arrived. Cooper, now 3, had been on dialysis since he was 8 months old before receiving the kidney.

Although there were some complications along the way, Cooper’s mother, Katie, said he was making great strides toward living a healthy life. This includes more time spent outside, playing ball, and interacting with his sister.

“It’s surreal to realize that they played a role in your child that they never encountered,” Katie Thompson said. “It’s just an incredible feeling. We’re just grateful for everything they’re doing to raise awareness about organ donation.”