Riding for a Cause - The Organ Trail
When you hear the phrase, "A man goes into a bar..." you might think it's the start of a joke, but for Mark Scotch and Hugh Smith, it was the start of something bigger. It was a journey that led Mark to become a living kidney donor and it gave Hugh a life free of dialysis when he got his new kidney, thanks to Mark and NKDO, the National Kidney Donation Organization.
Recently, Hostel Shoppe had the honor of showing an early movie premier of the documentary “The Gift of Life: An Organ Trail Story”, is a new 28-minute documentary about The Organ Trail, a not-for-profit initiative raising awareness about kidney health and the need for living kidney donors, during our Share the Love Event. The event took place at the Hostel Shoppe on Saturday, February 15 and you can view the Google Photo Album. View the story WAOW did about the event.
The documentary, created by former Texas Tech University students and headed by Michael Ortiz, chronicles the extraordinary journey of Mark and Lynn Scotch, a husband-and-wife duo from Wisconsin, whose happenstance meeting at a bar in Louisiana turned into a cross-country mission to save lives. It all began in 2020 when Mark met Hugh Smith, a retired jockey in desperate need of a kidney. Mark made the life-changing decision to donate his kidney through the National Kidney Registry Voucher Program, sparking a movement to raise awareness about living kidney donations.
Hugh Smith, Mark Scotch and Lynn Scotch
In early 2023, Lynn followed in Mark’s footsteps, donating her kidney through the voucher program. Lynn’s kidney went to a recipient in Illinois, and her voucher was given to 2-year-old Cooper from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born with end-stage renal failure, Cooper had been on dialysis since he was only eight months old. Thanks to Lynn’s donation, Cooper received the life-saving transplant he desperately needed.
Mark on tour speaking to hospitals across the country.
Why It Matters:
- Nearly 100,000 Americans are on the kidney transplant waiting list, with 3,000 new patients added monthly.
- Every day, 13 people in the U.S. die waiting for a kidney transplant.
- If just 10-15 people out of every 10,000 became living donors, the waiting list could be eradicated.
Since 2020, Mark and Lynn have completed six cross-country rides, logging more than 8,000 miles to raise awareness about the critical need for living kidney donors.
Katrina Shankland, State Representative, and Patrick Testin, State Senator, honoring Mark and Lynn Scotch in February 2023 at the Hostel Shoppe.
The 2023 ride, when this documentary was filmed, kicked off in Lubbock, TX where local Rotary and Toastmasters members, as well as members of the community welcomed Mark, Lynn and Michael into their homes. The movie will premiere soon on PBS in Texas, and we hope to be able to share the full documentary with you soon.
Mark Scotch & Vinnie Miresse, our State Assembly Representative in the 71st District, at the movie premier.
Mark will be riding again this summer in TOT 6.0. This ride will highlight his liver transplant (yes, he also donated a portion of his liver in addition to his kidney) as he starts in Los Angeles and ends in Denver. Mark is currently looking for volunteers for an RV driver and some social media liaisons for his next tour. You can view more info at The Organ Trail Volunteer Opportunites.
