The Lone Star Kidney Express | The Craziest Gig Job Ever

Ever wonder about the journey an organ takes before a life-saving transplant? This eye-opening conversation highlights the unsung heroes of organ transportation—the couriers who carry kidneys, hearts, and other vital organs across the country.

A passenger shares his extraordinary side job transporting a human kidney from Texas to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. What began as a way to earn extra income has evolved into a profound purpose. Each trip carries a life-saving responsibility, and TSA agents and flight attendants often express gratitude for the work, acknowledging the high stakes and critical importance of these deliveries.

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About: Foundation Digital Media | Kuna Video

Transcript

Rideshare Road Talk Introduction

Speaker 1 0:10

Welcome to another episode of Rideshare Road Talk Conversations in Motion, a podcast where we create unfiltered talk space that examines the meaningful lives of my passengers while engaging in personal and topical discussions. I'm your host and driver, john Fauntus, and we're cruising the streets of Washington DC. Buckle up, let's drive.

Speaker 2 0:33

Oh man, just dropped off. This is my first time out here and just had to drop off a package to the hospital here, but didn't realize that it was, I guess, a military base. So my first driver just kind of just dropped me off and left me, and so then I was like all right, let me call me another one to come get me and pick me up. That's like Walter.

Speaker 1 0:58

Reed right. Yeah, yeah, walter Reed, you can't just walk into a military base with a package.

Speaker 2 1:02

Yeah, yeah, what kind of package did you I had? Yeah, yeah, I had. No, I mean, I knew it was Walter Reed, but not thinking the concept of, oh, you know what, it's military, so um, so yeah, so just had to call the lady up to tell her to come meet me outside to pick up, uh, to come pick up the package, but uh, but yeah, I mean I'm, I'm just out here, man, I'm actually from Texas, originally from Georgia actually, but I'm from Texas doing this, and so yeah, and you came from Texas just to drop this package off.

A Special Delivery: The Kidney Courier

Speaker 1 1:34

Yeah, dare, I ask.

Speaker 2 1:37

Oh man, it was a kidney. What, yeah, yep, a Lone Star kidney.

Speaker 1 1:47

Yeah, yep, a Lone Star, a Lone Star kidney, yeah, yeah, I don't get stumped very often doing this but when kidney. You just came from Texas on a plane, like without a team of doctors, just with a Bass Pro Shops hat on in a cooler In.

Speaker 2 2:00

well, yep, boxed up, safely boxed up. Cool on dry ice? Yeah, I don't even know where to start with that. Yeah, I mean, let me Well, yeah, boxed up, safely boxed up cool on dry ice.

Speaker 1 2:06

Yeah, I don't even know where to start with that.

Speaker 2 2:07

Yeah, I mean, let me tell you.

Speaker 1 2:09

How do you get into doing? I mean.

Speaker 2 2:11

Dude, I honestly don't even know how I got here. I mean I was, I mean I got a full-time job, so I do this. You know, on the and um was looking to pick up some extra income, so I used to do like um, uh, like deliveries, like gop I don't know if y'all have gopuff out here, but it's like a door, it's like doordash okay um, but uh, so it was gopuff, but I was doing that, uh, but it was like multiple deliveries, multiple deliveries, right, and was talking to somebody and telling them what I was doing.

Speaker 2 2:48

And they put me on this and I was like, oh man, you know, you can make one or two deliveries and I mean it'll clear me for the, you know for the week, for like the extra money that I'm trying to make and like this one right here, I mean this one's 490. And I get on a plane, the company covers the plane ride, they cover the parking, they cover my food and yeah, yeah, I don't even know how I got here.

Speaker 1 3:19

I don't think we have enough time to really drill into this properly, because I have a lot of questions yeah, yeah um number one. Like you're, you're effectively saving someone's life correct. Yes, and take it a step further. The person that drove you ride share to get to walter reed. Yeah, help save someone's life. Someone's life, exactly, yeah that wow's life, exactly, yeah, wow, yeah, I mean, that's a movie script, right there it is.

Speaker 2 3:48

So let me tell you, this is my first time actually making a delivery like this, because normally I'm driving, normally I'm taking it, so this is my first time actually being on a plane.

Speaker 1 3:58

Wait, wait, wait, wait. The first time ever being on a plane.

VIP Treatment for Life-Saving Cargo

Speaker 2 4:02

With a delivery. Oh, okay, yeah, with a delivery. So I don't know what to expect. But let me tell you, the people like TSA getting on the plane, everybody's like thank you, thank you. You know you're doing an awesome job. And I was like floored, like oh man, you know they were. Let me take your package.

Speaker 1 4:25

You know I'm gonna put it in the closet up front here you're like two heads like that, yeah, and no one touching this, yeah you know because, because I've gotten instructions like look, keep your eyes on it, don't you know?

Speaker 2 4:36

blah, blah, blah and um. But when I get on the plane, apparently, uh, one of the flight attendants. He goes hey what, you got there a heart. And I thought he was kidding and I said no, it's a kidney. And he goes. I knew it was something like that. And he goes you're doing a good job, man, you know, and he's like you're a courier. And I was like, yeah, and he was like you're doing a good job. So of course I'm moving the overhead bins aren't flat.

Speaker 1 5:04

Hold on a second, I gotta stop you. Yeah, back. They ain't putting you in business class flying with a kidney. Now that kidney needs its own seat.

Speaker 2 5:10

Now, that's the one thing that I do got to talk about, you know, because I'm a big boy and, uh, you know, I was sitting next to to to dad and son and I'm on the window and I'm and I'm crunched up and I'm like, nah, yeah're going to have to talk about this. So, yeah, that's going to be a topic of conversation when I get back.

Speaker 1 5:30

I mean you're saving lives.

Speaker 2 5:32

Yeah, I mean come on. Yeah.

Speaker 1 5:35

I mean, larry, first of all, there is a special place in heaven for people like you, and that's just amazing.

Speaker 2 5:40

Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 5:58

I'll take it. I'm a journalist by trade. I did that for 20 years and, wow, great story. Yeah, what's about your day? And all of a sudden you get to your delivery and be like here you go and the doctors are like nah, dude, this is like a ham sandwich in the school. We're like where's the kidney?

Speaker 2 6:12

Yeah, so this is the thing, right, I don't let it out of my sight. When I get to the gate, tsa the company's already made the phone call to let tsa know I'm coming. So they are aware that I'm coming and they're like okay, because I tell them look, I need you, it can't go through x-ray, it has to go on the outside, you know. So they take it, they wipe it down, check it, and I'm, my eye is on it the whole time, right, while I'm there, and uh. And then when I get to the, when I actually get to the gate, I let the gate agent know too.

Speaker 2 6:48

Hey, look, this is who I am. I'm with this company, I got this you know package and I just need to make sure that it is safe. So when I get onto the airplane, the flight attendant goes let me take it, and I'm gonna to put it in the front closet. You know where their stuff is at, so it's secure, and so they get it, they take it and they secure it and and so, and I mean, and they're checking on me while I'm there. We're like you good, you need anything, and I'm like no, but I didn't realize that I was going to get special treatment.

Speaker 1 7:22

You know, you know in the movie script part of this story you and I go back to the hospital when there's a good outcome and you meet the guy and they, hey, this is the driver that you know.

Speaker 2 7:35

Exactly, exactly right. We all, we're all part of this big plan right To make somebody's life better, and so, yeah, it's. It's pretty cool, though. It is pretty cool to know that what you're doing, it's it's. It's it's to help somebody. Like you say, you're saving a life, it's a team.

Speaker 1 7:58

Oh yeah, yeah, the drivers, you know, yeah, the delivery guy, surgeons find, you know.

Speaker 2 8:04

Yeah, forget that, it's all about the drivers and the delivery guys.

Speaker 2 8:07

That's it, Because, guess what, we make the major moves, If we don't get it to them, they can't do the surgery. You know, I'm just as and that's how you have to look at it I'm just as important. I'm just as important to get it to where it needs to get, to safe you know that it's not damaged. Because sometimes, man, I've had deliveries while I've had to take deliveries down to Houston and it's for kids, and you know, and those are the, you know the touching times, and it's like, man, you know what do I got to do to get this here on time. I got to make sure that I'm not distracted. I got to make sure, you know, to get it where it needs to get to, you know, so that so these kids can can, can live, so that they can have a better life. Cause you don't know, you don't know how you are affecting somebody's life and, uh, that is a very interesting um perspective.

Speaker 1 9:01

For sure, yeah, that most people kind of coast through life and oh okay, yeah, but it really is, it's an exercise in perspective.

Living with Purpose

Speaker 2 9:08

It is man, let me tell you, I, um, I, I, I, my wife and I, we, we live by. There's a purpose for us, right, that's like a creed that we, you know, like a family creed of ours, that we have a purpose and, um, and this is like part of my this is, this is part of my purpose. You know, it's not the total thing, but it's just part of it. And it's like I do different things in just in life in general. Um, and I'm like this right here is just another part of my purpose. You know, know, I go to my daughter's school where she graduated from, and I talk to the kids there, you know, at least once a month. You know, and that's part of my purpose, that I'm here to affect change, I'm here to be an impact, I'm here to make a difference in somebody's life, and this is just another. You know, it's like another if you want to say another nacho in your hat, you know, but it's a purpose thing, you know. So it's purposeful living. So, yeah, it's pretty good.

Speaker 1 10:13

And that's not a commercial spot, that's like real life it is. You know, when you go through your day and you do a job well done, end of the day there's a certain amount of of satisfaction, especially if you're a creative or you're building something, whatever. But when you do something like that and when I drop you off at the airport and your, your ass hits that seat and you relax, you'll be like, yeah, there's got to be a really nice reflective quality about that job done, yeah and you're heading home to see your people and all that good stuff.

Speaker 1 10:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah for you man, yeah, man, good for you.

Speaker 2 10:43

Man, yeah, man, yeah it is. It's pretty cool.

Speaker 1 10:45

Where's?

Speaker 2 10:45

home for you, home for me, texas.

Speaker 1 10:48

Okay, hold on. Yeah, dfw, I have not spent too much time there. My son was a long snapper and he got recruited at Maryland and a couple other schools, but along the way he was in Fort Worth for a camp Okay, and I couldn't go but my wife and my boys went and they said they had a great time.

Speaker 2 11:11

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm about 15 minutes from Fort Worth.

Speaker 1 11:14

Like in the old stockyards and all that.

Speaker 2 11:16

Yeah, the stockyard, that's it, yeah.

Speaker 1 11:19

I'm kind of like a pseudo history buff. So you go back in time 150 years. Yeah, that whole era really fascinates me. What was it? Hell's Half Acre and all that, whatever that's called.

Speaker 2 11:31

Yeah, yeah, and I mean, we've been out there now, for this year makes 14 years. Yeah, this year makes 14 years and, man, I hadn't regretted any minute of it.

Speaker 1 11:43

Man, don't get me started on barbecue, like I can smoke a little bit right.

Speaker 2 11:48

Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:48

Like that's what I did during COVID. Okay okay, some people did foreign languages and all that.

Speaker 2 11:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:53

I mean, I drilled into it man Science, the alchemy. Yeah, air temperature internal external fuel source. Where was she? I forgot the name of the place, but she tore into these beef ribs. Man she said she hadn't anything like that in her life. Yeah, I mean just what's going on? You go to Austin, there's the Salt Lick and Franklin's and all that stuff. But it's all these just off-the-beaten-path dudes who are just slinging it. Right that didn't get fortunate enough to expand or have a proper brick and mortar, exactly and it's, it's just as good, if not better, yeah yeah, I mean, that's like the one.

Texas BBQ Talk

Speaker 2 12:42

I mean we don't even go to like big spots down there, my daughter and I, on saturdays. This guy sets up every sat Saturday about two miles from the house food trailer and we're there every Saturday getting the burnt ends, you know, getting brisket biscuits, you know, just, you know, and it's just like, yeah, you know you find those small mom and pops or whatever those families that just know how to do it. Yeah and yeah. And, like you say, some of them are better man, because I think those big chains they get comfortable in their name. Yeah, and then, you know they slack off.

Speaker 2 13:22

But yeah, that's one thing about out there, though it's all about the beef it's all about beef in Texas, oh yeah. Yeah, and smokehouses. You know, like where I'm from, when we think about barbecue, we're thinking about pork, we're thinking about pork ribs, we're thinking about a sauce. You know, out there it's smokehouse, it's, you know, beef ribs, it's brisket. You know they have sauce, but I'm not really a big sauce guy.

Speaker 1 13:48

It's all about the rough man. Yeah, you can exactly.

Speaker 2 13:51

If you can season it right, I don't need nothing yeah.

Speaker 1 13:54

There was. It was like a documentary series on TV years ago and there was two, two places. One was in South Carolina, rodney Scott, who focuses on whole hog barbecue.

Speaker 1 14:07

I mean, just crazy. And the other one was this old lady named Tootsie Snow Barbecue Somewhere I can't remember where it was in Texas, it wasn't too far from Austin. This lady was like 80 years old, jowls coming off the back of her arms and shoveling in the hot coal and her sweat is what makes it taste good. That's right, literally, and I don't know if this lady is still with us or not.

Speaker 2 14:37

Yeah.

Speaker 1 14:39

The stuff that this lady was pulling out of these smokers man and the line of people and it was all about her.

Speaker 2 14:45

Yeah.

Speaker 1 14:45

The son runs it or whatever it was, and she was 80. You know the whole backstory of her life.

Speaker 2 14:50

Yeah.

Speaker 1 14:51

But all that goes into the love and the cooking right.

Speaker 2 14:55

That's it, man. That's it, yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's just like the one that we go to. It's called Green's Barbecue.

Speaker 1 15:01

Okay.

Speaker 2 15:01

You know, and it was a family deal, the dad started it and he ended up passing and the sons got the recipes and they just, you know, they kept it and they just ran with it and I mean, that's it. You know, every Saturday we're there, you know, we you have to get there like an hour early, you know, because the line is already forming and they're just waiting, and I mean, and they're, and you're there till they run out, right yeah, it's like we're there till they run out, and so you try to get that early enough so that you can make sure you get a piece of it.

Speaker 2 15:34

And sometimes you get it and sometimes you miss out because people are I mean, you get you, he gets the same people. And then when you spread it out and you tell people about it, then the line just continues to grow.

Speaker 1 15:46

Yeah, yeah.

SEC Football and College Towns

Speaker 2 15:47

Yeah, that's it, and that's what it's it, man, you know they're there for that. All right now I'm hungry, that apple ain't going to cut it, apple ain't going to cut it, man. Yeah, no, not at all man. So, you're in Fort Worth. So college football who's your team? Are you going to be an A&M guy? So that's the thing, right? I know I've been in Texas for, you know, 14 years and I root for Texas because I live there, but I'm still a homer. You know I'm a UGA guy.

Speaker 1 16:19

Oh yeah, we got to talk. Yeah, I'm a UGA guy, my kids are Tennessee. We got to talk. Ok, OK I already got a room booked for that game in.

Speaker 2 16:28

September in Knoxville, yeah, and the SEC man, it's just, the SEC is just, it is a league above all the rest of them.

Speaker 1 16:41

I don't want to hear about Ohio State and the Big Ten.

Speaker 2 16:43

I just don't care. I don't care, yeah Day in day out. Sec football Just stop. Yep, yep, it's men amongst boys. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 16:55

Yeah, my son's a sophomore at UT and he loves it, man. Yeah, it's a great time and you know we've been down a couple times. But you know, with supply and demand and all these you know alumni networks, it gets so expensive to get in there. You know the game tickets are one thing but I have points through Hilton and I was lucky enough to get a room for two nights for the Georgia game and also for the Oklahoma game. Good deal, good deal, and it's right in the little Market Square area, which is really cool.

Speaker 1 17:22

It's like you know bars and restaurants and less kids and more adults having fun yeah. Yeah, face value out of pocket. These motherfuckers want fifteen hundred dollars a night.

Speaker 2 17:36

Ain't it crazy.

Speaker 1 17:37

Two night minimum. Yeah, it's crazy and I run everything through, like you know. A Hilton honors card.

Speaker 2 17:46

Yeah.

Speaker 1 17:47

Points. I mean, I mean everything my business expense home, all that stuff.

Speaker 2 17:50

Uh huh.

Speaker 1 17:51

And so you know, it was only like 50,000 points, which is really not a lot.

Speaker 2 17:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 17:56

And I was like okay, you know, here we come, rocky Top, let's go.

Speaker 2 18:01

Yeah, man, it is crazy the money that they bring in, though, my goodness.

Speaker 1 18:06

Yeah, yeah, athens is a fun town too, man. Yeah, that's a fun town too. My son hasn't gotten there yet. He went to Gainesville to see the Gators game last year.

Speaker 2 18:21

Okay, all right, I love that campus yeah. Had a good time, that's the other thing, man.

Speaker 1 18:27

Most of the college towns in the SEC are pretty cool, oh yeah, you keep Tuscaloosa. That's some bullshit. Yeah, but Athens, knoxville.

Speaker 2 18:36

Yep.

Speaker 1 18:38

Oxford is a cool town. Yeah, that's cool man. Well, I'm sure you're happy to get back home, for sure.

Speaker 2 18:47

Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 18:49

Please tear up some barbecue for me. I will. Doctor's orders. I can't do it anymore.

Speaker 2 18:53

Oh, man, and look, I'm on a limitation too, so I'm on a limit yeah, yeah, yeah. But I get it in every now and again. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because I like to eat, but I don't want to see you again, if you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 19:04

Oh, I definitely know, what you mean. That's right. All right, man, let's kill this now and we'll get you on your way. Okay, cool deal.

Speaker 2 19:16

Appreciate it, bro. Good talking to you, yeah, man.

Episode Closing

Speaker 1 19:19

Thank you for listening to this episode of Rideshare Road Talk. If you've enjoyed what you've heard, we'd love for you to review the podcast on your favorite listening platform, like Apple or Spotify. Your support helps us so much, and don't forget to reach out on Instagram with your feedback or topic suggestions. Until next time, let's drive.