My name is Ralph Behrens, and I was born in Wisconsin and have lived here all my life. I am the youngest of eight children and have five brothers and two sisters; one brother and two sisters are still living. There were four of us who were Vietnam vets, three of us were Vietnam Era and one brother was drafted and served in Vietnam.
The year 1974 was very busy and life changing for me. I graduated high school, got married to my wife Kay of 51 years and enlisted in the Air Force. My oldest daughter Kari (50) was born, she is married and has a son Logan (24) and a daughter Rylee (22). I also have another daughter Renee (40), she is married and has two daughters Callie (8) & Myla (6).
I was a Firefighter/EMT in the Air Force and was stationed in upper Michigan for two years and Germany for two years. After four years of service, I was honorably discharged with the rank of Sgt. E-4. I really enjoyed my job in the Fire Department, especially my two years in Germany. I enjoyed helping and saving the lives of people that were in fires.
After coming out of the Air Force, I worked in a factory for a while before getting a job with the U.S. Postal Service sorting mail. I retired in 2013 after 27 years of service as a postal worker. I was a volunteer fireman/EMT in my town for 10 years. I belong to a sportsman club and do volunteer work with them when I can. I belonged to a Harley motorcycle chapter and volunteered with fundraisers for kids with cancer or kids from burn units in the hospital.
I don’t know exactly how long I had kidney problems, but I had part of my kidney removed in 2022 (cancerous tumor). My kidney disease has progressed ever since and when my GFR was at 5%, I started peritoneal dialysis (PD) in February 2025. Being hooked up to my dialysis machine for 10-12 hours a day, every day, is very limiting.
A new kidney would give me the freedom to do the things I enjoy like hunting, fishing, and riding my Harley Ultra Classic. I would love to spend more time with my dogs, go on vacations with my wife, and get back to a normal life. I would truly be blessed and thankful to get a donated kidney through the generosity of a very special someone.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Ralph’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611