On this episode of the Filter Life Podcast, host Dan Holmes sits down with living kidney donor and advocate Mark Scotch, whose extraordinary act of generosity began with a chance conversation in a bar — and led to a life-saving kidney donation for a complete stranger.

Mark shares the moment that sparked his decision, the physical and emotional journey of becoming a living donor, how the living donor voucher program works, and why awareness, advocacy, and communication are critical in the fight against chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Mark also introduces us to The Organ Trail, his nationwide kidney donation awareness project designed to spark conversations, connect patients with resources, and normalize living organ donation. Through long-distance cycling and public engagement, The Organ Trail is reframing what it means to donate an organ and showing how one storyteller can impact an entire community.

This episode unpacks:
✔ the realities of kidney donation and living donor recovery
✔ misconceptions and barriers to organ donation
✔ how donor health is monitored and protected
✔ why more living donors aren’t coming forward (and how to change that)
✔ how storytelling can save lives by increasing kidney disease awareness

Mark’s journey demonstrates how ordinary conversations can lead to extraordinary outcomes — and why living a Filtered Life means using your time, energy, and relationships with intention and purpose.

If you're interested in organ donation, transplant advocacy, kidney health, or how one person can create a ripple effect of impact, this episode is for you.