From a kidney transplant to the pitch (video)

It was during his darkest period of life, when he was waking up for 4:30 am dialysis treatments three days a week, that Richi Rodrigues found something to give him hope.

His nephrologist told him a kidney transplant would erase the need for dialysis and return him to his healthy, everyday life. And one day, while surfing the web during a four-hour dialysis session, Richi discovered that the Transplant Games, a biannual competition featuring athletes who had received organ transplants, would be adding the Transplant Football World Cup event for the first time.

A passion to play

Richi has had a passion for football — known as soccer in the U.S. — since he was a kid, and he continued to play semi-competitively into adulthood. However, as he reached his late 20s, his energy levels dropped, making it difficult to play.

It was frustrating, Richi says, especially since he was a fitness fanatic who did not drink or smoke. Furthermore, his flagging energy began affecting the rest of his life, as he struggled to stay awake past 8 pm most nights.

When he suddenly began to lose his vision, Richi immediately went to the emergency room. There, he was shocked to receive his diagnosis: Stage 5 kidney failure.

The road to the World Cup

The dialysis sessions started immediately. Because the waitlist to receive a kidney from a deceased donor can be 8 to 10 years, Dr. Arman Faravardeh, a nephrologist with Sharp Community Medical Group and Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group and medical director of the Sharp HealthCare Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center, told Richi his best bet was to seek a family member or friend to be a living donor.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions,” Richi remembers.

Learning about the Transplant Games gave him a goal, which, in turn, gave him hope. And when his brother, Jerry, turned out to be a perfect match, the transplant surgery was scheduled at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Richi says he could tell he was already feeling better the moment he woke from the procedure — his energy had returned. Less than a year and a half later, he was on a plane to Italy, where he accomplished his goal of playing for Team USA at the Transplant Games Soccer World Cup.

Watch the video above to learn more about Richi and his transplant surgery at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

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