Gunnar Naughton underwent donor nephrectomy in Fall 2024. He began the screening process through the National Kidney Registry without a recipient in mind, but during his medical examination, he decided to direct a kidney voucher to a Marine veteran. A quick web search led him to DOVE Transplant. The interstate logistics of it all were remarkable: Gunnar, from Kansas, had surgery in Wisconsin, and the kidney was flown to Oregon for transplant. The voucher recipient in California then received his “payback kidney” from a living donor in New York.

An avid outdoor adventurer, he found that donation did not limit his physical capabilities and instead made him more intentional about his health. Gunnar views living organ donation as a practical expression of gratitude for one’s health, stating, “I have been blessed with good health and amazing medical treatments, so I want to give the same for someone else.” He later doubled down on that commitment by donating a piece of his liver in 2026 as a non-directed donor.