2022 Bounce Back Runner Up - Randy Stafford

Mill Valley, CA local Randy Stafford was among the three runners-up for this year's award. CKF is honored to acknowledge and celebrate Randy’s dedication to the transplant community across the country. 

At 23 years old, Randy was starting his career in public health after graduating with a Master’s from John Hopkins University, but he was also dealing with kidney failure. Randy attended dialysis three times a week until his younger brother donated his kidney to Randy in 1984. His brother's gift saved Randy’s life, allowing him to compete in the Transplant Games less than a year post-transplant and continue to work in public health. Unfortunately, in 2005 Randy was again experiencing kidney failure; this time, his wife was a match and donated her kidney to him.

Randy is dedicated to fitness; working as a “Physician-Researcher,” he works to improve human life by researching the variables that make for successful health outcomes. Randy has competed in the US and World Transplant Games for nearly four decades, winning over 80 medals. He regularly hikes and bikes; in 2018, he even rode his bike across Iceland and completed the 6-day Yunnan Granfondo. 

After John Hopkins, Randy remained in the public health sphere attending UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco for a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and his medical degree. He became a professor at Harvard Medical School before moving to Stanford University in 2001 to become a full professor of medicine. Randy focuses on his unique patient and doctor insight to allow him to support other transplant recipients and further the organ donation cause. His research focuses on preventing heart disease and improving chronic treatment for conditions such as diabetes which can lead to a transplant. Randy regularly volunteers with nonprofit organizations throughout California to help promote transplantation and organ donation.