Growing up, Saturdays meant soccer and dialysis. I'd play my match while my dad watched from the fence — baseball cap low, folding chair in hand — and then we'd drive together to the dialysis center, where he'd spend hours tethered to a machine doing the work his kidneys no longer could.

I watched him endure four years of waiting for a kidney that fit. I watched him make space for my life even when his own felt hijacked, watching his life revolve around a machine that does the work their body can't. I've seen the exhaustion, the resilience, the quiet courage it takes to show up again and again. I watched him make space for my life even when his own felt hijacked by treatment schedules and uncertainty.

On March 8th, I'm running 26.2 miles in the LA Marathon for the National Kidney Foundation. But I'm really running for one person.

Kidney disease doesn't just affect patients. It reshapes entire families. It teaches you what strength really looks like.

The National Kidney Foundation funds research, supports patients and families, and advocates for better policies and transplant access.

I'm raising $2,000 and would appreciate your support. Every dollar helps fund:

• Patient education and support programs
• Research toward better treatments
• Advocacy for organ donation
• Resources for families affected by kidney disease

When the miles get tough, I'll think of the people we're helping—the families getting more time together, the patients finding hope, and the progress being made.

Thank you for supporting this cause. Together, we can make a difference for those facing kidney disease.