Enjoy an exciting day with our kidney community at the 2026 St. Louis National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Walk!
Heather Francis, BSN, RN, Inpatient Post Transplant Kidney Coordinator for Barnes Jewish Transplant Services, is serving as organizer and captain of The Renal Gems team, representing Barnes-Jewish Transplant Services and WashU Nephrology/Transplant.
The NKF sponsors the nation’s largest walking event dedicated to raising awareness of kidney disease and supporting organ donation. All WashU faculty, staff, and patients are welcome to join and support the walk, which will be held Sunday, September 27th at 9 am, 111 West Port Plaza Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63146.
Francis is passionate about giving a voice to transplant recipients and celebrating their resilience. She previously worked as an organ procurement coordinator for Mid-America Transplant (MTS) and is now on the transplant side – an experience she describes as coming full circle. “This role means so much to me,” she says. “I love helping people and hearing their stories. To see them so grateful for a second chance at life makes this job all worth it.”
Giving a face to the hope and determination behind transplantation, a featured speaker at this year’s walk is a kidney recipient whose search for a living donor began with a billboard on Highway 70 – an act of faith that led not only to her transplant, but to another through the paired exchange program.
Your generosity will help kidney patients and their families get the care and support they need.
T-Shirts are also available to order, with part of the proceeds supporting the team.
ORDERS AND PAYMENT FOR T-SHIRTS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH.
Please reach out to Heather.Francis@bjc.org for more info.
The NKF Kidney Walk is a dog- and kid-friendly event!
