The Iron Kidney Project

03/12/2026

Today is World Kidney Day!

A day to bring attention to kidney health, organ donation, and the thousands of people currently waiting for a second chance at life.

But it’s also a day to celebrate something powerful.

The people who prove every single day that life after donation and transplant does not have to be defined by limitations.

Living donors who step forward with courage and generosity to save someone they may barely know.

Recipients who fight their way through illness, surgery, and recovery to reclaim their lives.

And a growing community of people showing the world what is still possible after donation.

Running marathons.
Racing Ironman.
Building families.
Chasing goals.
Living full lives again.

This is what the Iron Kidney Project is all about.

We believe donation is not the end of a story. It is the start of a new one.

A story of strength, resilience, and people willing to be the change they want to see in the world.

Today we celebrate donors.
We celebrate recipients.
And we raise awareness for those still waiting.

Because it only takes one person to save a life.
If you have ever thought about organ donation, take a moment today to learn more. That decision could change someone’s entire world.

Happy World Kidney Day 💚

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

03/12/2026

Sometimes the chance to save a life is closer to home than we realize. This is not a headline. This is a real person in our community fighting for his life. Will you take the first step to help?

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Update on Ryk — An Urgent Need

Ryk recently traveled to Pittsburgh to meet with his doctors and surgeon at UPMC who would perform his liver transplant. To be completely transparent, it was a disappointing visit — the reality is becoming much more urgent.

We are running out of time to find Ryk a living liver donor. Ryk’s doctors shared that he needs the transplant ideally within the next couple of months.

While we are disappointed after receiving this news, we are not discouraged.

HOW YOU CAN HELP RYK:

One thing many people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be a direct match to save Ryk’s life.
Through something called a paired liver donor exchange, a willing donor who isn’t compatible with Ryk can still help him receive a transplant.

Here’s how a paired donor exchange works:

- If someone volunteers for Ryk, is approved to donate, but isn’t a direct match for Ryk, they can donate to another patient in need for whom they are a match.

- In return, UPMC guarantees an altruistic donor who is a direct match for Ryk.
- This creates a donor chain that allows multiple lives to be saved.

The hospital organizes the paired exchange, but we must first secure an approved donor on Ryk’s end in order to make the paired exchange a reality.
So even if you’re unsure about compatibility, getting tested could still be the key that unlocks Ryk’s transplant.

If you’re worried about costs: Ryk’s insurance covers the cost of your donor evaluation, surgery, and follow up appointments.

If you’re worried about your recovery: The liver is unique because it regenerates — meaning both the donor’s and recipient’s liver grow back to normal size rather quickly.

Becoming a living liver donor is an incredible act of generosity. If you have ever considered helping, now is the time.

👉🏻 Start the confidential donor screening here:

https://livingdonorreg.upmc.com/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQfsW1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeApzfC4lcYxB9jEKCyLHANNXGRjbKMHj7XNmpsjZklLtckwpRlA6zNL2cSKE_aem_hOqu12nUj40UjARooTP9Hg

Register under “Richard Smith” — be sure to answer YES to this question on the form to accept the possibility of becoming a paired exchange donor for Ryk: If you are not a suitable match for the recipient you registered to donate to, would you consider being in paired exchange?

Even if a liver donation isn’t possible for you, sharing this post could help us reach the person who can save Ryk’s life.

Thank you for standing with our family and continuing to lift Ryk up in prayer and support. ❤️

03/08/2026

Be the change you want to see in the world. Consider being a donor.

This is Emory “Buz” Norris. He’s a retired Baltimore County police officer, a husband of 44 years, a father, and a grandfather to six with another on the way. Due to complications from a medication, Buz is now in kidney failure and in need of a transplant.

A living donor gives him the best chance at a longer, healthier life so he can keep doing what he loves most: being there for his family.

Please take a moment to read his full story and consider sharing. One person seeing this could change everything.

Emory Norris Needs a Kidney | Can You Help?

03/04/2026

Ryan J Ye with another amazing story right here in South Central PA.

This is not something happening somewhere far away. This is here. In our community. In our neighborhoods. In our hospitals.

For my PA/MD/NJ/DE friends who may be interested in donating or just want to learn more, everything is done locally at UPMC in Harrisburg. The process, the testing, the surgery, the follow up. You are taken care of every step of the way.

Living donation is real. It is possible. And it changes lives forever.

Do not hesitate to reach out here with any questions about the process or how to get started. No pressure. Just information and honest conversation.

It only takes one person to see this post and decide to save a life.

If you would like to support our mission at The Iron Kidney Project and help us continue advocating, educating, and standing beside donors and recipients, you can donate here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

Battling kidney failure, Coach Pottle finds solace and purpose in leading Central York's varsity tennis team. Witness his inspiring journey in the face of adversity.

03/01/2026

March is National Kidney Awareness Month.

For us at The Iron Kidney Project this month hits close to home. Kidney disease is not a statistic. It is people. Families. Conversations that change everything. It is waiting rooms, surgeries, recovery, and learning how to live again.

It is also donors who step up selflessly. Recipients who get a second chance. And a community that proves the human body and spirit are capable of more than we are often told.

We exist to show that life after transplant and living donation is not the end of the story. It is a new chapter. One that can still include strength, movement, racing, goals, and purpose.

This month we ask you to learn more about kidney health. Talk about organ donation. Share the message. Support those living with kidney disease and those who have donated.

Awareness leads to action. Action saves lives.
Thank you for standing with us and being part of this journey.

If you would like to support our mission, you can donate here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

02/25/2026

Big update for our June race at Ironman 70.3 in Happy Valley

A few months ago we shared how 6 living donors are showing up in a big way for this race. Today we are excited to share a relay team that truly represents what the Iron Kidney Project is about.

In December 2024, Andrew Langston donated his kidney to Gino Serafini. This June they will be back on the course together as a living donor and recipient relay team.

Andrew will take on the 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike. Gino will bring the team home with the half marathon run (13.1 miles).

This isn’t just a relay. It is a full circle moment. A donor and recipient racing together and showing what is possible after transplant and through living donation.

What started as a small idea continues to grow into something much bigger than a race. It is about community, resilience, and rewriting the limits placed on life after donation.

We cannot wait to hit the course in June and continue sharing these stories.

One kidney. One relay team. One message.

If you want to support the mission of the Iron Kidney Project, donations and shares help more than you know. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

02/13/2026

🎁 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! 🎁

The Fleet Feet Team (York / Harrisburg / Mechanicsburg) has been one of our biggest corporate supporters since the very beginning of this journey. They’ve donated directly, hosted events at their stores, and now they’ve hooked us up with a $25 Fleet Feet gift card that can be used at any Fleet Feet location.

We’d love for you to support one of the three stores above if you’re local, but we understand if you’re not.

How to enter:
1️⃣ Share our page and help us get to 1,000 followers
2️⃣ Guess Andrew’s half marathon time in Las Vegas next weekend in the comments

You do NOT have to guess correctly to win.

🎉 Winner will be randomly selected from the comments once we hit 1K followers.

How to share the page:
• Tap the three dots in the top right corner
• Select “Invite friends”
• Select All

Huge thank you to the Fleet Feet team for their continued support. We truly couldn’t do this without partners like you.

02/10/2026

DAN WAS APPROVED AND WE ARE STEPPING UP TO SUPPORT HIM!

Dan Van Dongen has officially been approved as a living kidney donor.

From the very beginning, Dan did not just show interest in living donation. He took action. He asked questions. He showed up. He joined The Iron Kidney Project Movement, raced in our kit, and helped spread awareness at Ironmans and raced other events up and down the East Coast.

And then he went further.

Dan put himself through the testing process and raised his hand to help save someone else’s life.

Living kidney donors are heroes. But donation comes with real costs. Travel. Time away from work. Recovery. Things most people never see.

This week, The Iron Kidney Project is raising funds to help support Dan with donation related expenses so he can focus on what matters most.

All donations will go through our nonprofit and will be directly disbursed to support Dan.

Donate here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

If you can give, thank you. If you cannot, please share. Support makes living donation possible. 💚

02/06/2026

We Need Help Telling Life-Saving Stories!

From personal experience, I know the power of social media.
It is not perfect, but it reaches people. And when it reaches the right person at the right time, it can change a life.

I truly believe you cannot convince someone to become a living donor. That choice already lives inside them. Most people just do not know it exists yet. Not until they see the post. The video. The face of a real person who needs help.

That is when something clicks.

Our goal is simple and very personal. We want to help families in need by creating meaningful media that gives them a voice. Short videos, 30 to 120 seconds, where individuals or families waiting for a transplant can share a piece of their story in their own words.

These videos would then be shared across social media platforms to reach as many people as possible. The goal is awareness, connection, and action. It only takes one person to see a story and decide to step forward.

One video. One share. One moment of connection. That is sometimes all it takes.
We are open to both local and remote help. Local would be in south central Pennsylvania, but remote opportunities are absolutely welcome.

We are also open to all experience levels, including high school students, college students, and beginners. This could be a great project for school, portfolios, or anyone looking to use their skills to make a real impact.

If this speaks to you, or if you know someone who might be a good fit, please reach out.
This is how awareness turns into action.

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We are also grateful for any financial support that helps make these projects possible. A one-time or monthly donation goes a long way in helping us create and share these life-saving stories. The Iron Kidney Project is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and corporate donations are welcome as well.

If you’re able and willing to support our mission financially, you can donate here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8FT5TSEPCMTZ4

02/05/2026

Over the past few weeks, we’ve gained a lot of new followers, so I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself and The Iron Kidney Project.

My name is Andrew Langston. I’m the founder of The Iron Kidney Project, a husband, a father of two, an Ironman athlete, and a living organ donor. This platform exists for one simple reason: to raise awareness, educate, and show what’s truly possible before, during, and after living organ donation.

A quick rewind for all the amazing followers.

On December 3rd, 2024 (Giving Tuesday), in Pittsburgh, I donated a kidney to a complete stranger after seeing a Facebook post about a 20-year-old named Gino who desperately needed one. Two months before that, I had finished my 5th full Ironman in 12 months. Donation didn’t pause my life. It added purpose to it.

Since starting this page, I did exactly what I set out to do:
- Qualified for the Ironman World Championships (Sept 24')
- Donated my kidney successfully to Gino (Dec 24')
- Raced that Ironman World Championships in France (Sept 25')

I’ve continued racing, training, and using endurance sports as a loudspeaker to raise awareness for living donation.

At my one-year kidney follow-up, I also went through extensive testing to become a living liver donor. I'm very pleased to say I was approved a week later. Double living donors are extremely rare, but at this point, “rare” seems to be my normal. If all goes well, I plan to donate later this fall or winter. Before that, it’s another year of racing, a full summer with the kids, and celebrating my 10-year wedding anniversary in November.

While donation can look like an individual act, it’s truly a family affair. My wife, kids, and extended family are part of this journey every step of the way. If I could donate a kidney or liver every week, I would. Since I can’t, this page is how I keep giving.

These days, life is pretty normal. Training keeps us busy, and our kids somehow stay even busier. And that’s the point. I want people to see that not much actually changes. Life stays full, active, chaotic, and meaningful.

This page will sometimes blend my passions: family, endurance sports, health, travel, and living donation. I hope you enjoy the ride, learn something along the way, and maybe even consider becoming a living donor yourself.

“As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.”

Thanks for being here!

02/04/2026

Big shoutout to one of The Iron Kidney Project’s biggest supporters Dan Van Dongen.

From the very beginning, Dan showed genuine interest in living donation after Andrew went through the process. That interest quickly turned into action. He joined our endurance team, proudly racing in our kit and spreading awareness at Ironman and endurance events all up and down the East Coast.

Dan didn’t stop there. He put himself out there and went through the testing process to become a living kidney donor. This Friday, he finds out if he receives final approval and can hopefully set a donation date.

No matter the outcome, Dan is a hero in our eyes, and we can’t thank him enough for his support, selflessness, and willingness to help save a life.

We’re also incredibly excited to cheer him on at the Ironman World Championships this October in Kona, Hawaii.

Keep being an amazing human, Dan. 💚