Matthew Harmody, MD, Retired Emergency Physician, Kidney Donation Advocate, Author

Your World of Creativity

Mark Stinson

Education, Business, Self-improvement, Design, Marketing, Arts

5.0 • 45 Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2026

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today we’re joined by Dr. Matthew Harmody — a retired emergency physician, living kidney donor, and one of the leading advocates for kidney donation in the United States. Matthew donated a kidney to a stranger, then dedicated his post-medical career to eliminating the national kidney waitlist through education, mentorship, and policy reform.

Matt's Website

@5k50ss on Instagram

Matt's Facebook page

Matt's Facebook group

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-harmody-97988311/

He currently serves as Board Chair of the National Kidney Donation Organization, is a founding member of the Coalition to Modify NOTA, and has just released a remarkable new book, Ascending America: Five Kidney Donors, Fifty States, One Record-Breaking Journey. The book chronicles an extraordinary feat—summiting the highest point in all fifty states in record time—while carrying a much bigger message about courage, health, and the power of giving.

From the ER to Altruism in Action
Matt, you spent years as an emergency physician—trained to assess risk, act fast, and save lives under pressure. What first inspired you to donate a kidney to a stranger, and how did that single decision redirect the course of your life?
Donor Myths vs. Reality
Many people believe kidney donation is dangerous, permanently limiting, or something only done for family. What surprised you most—physically and emotionally—about living with one kidney, and what do you wish the public understood about life after donation?
Climbing for a Cause
Ascending America documents your team’s Guinness World Record journey summiting the highest point in every state. How did this extreme physical challenge become a platform for kidney donation advocacy—and what moments on that journey stayed with you the most?
The Science of Selflessness
You’ve spoken about the neuroscience behind altruism. From your perspective, what does science tell us about why people give so selflessly—and how might understanding that help normalize and expand living kidney donation?
Changing the System, Not Just the Story
Beyond individual donors, you’re working to change federal policy through efforts to modify the National Organ Transplant Act. What needs to change to eliminate the kidney waitlist—and how can everyday people support this mission?

Matt, after everything you’ve experienced—as a physician, a donor, an athlete, and an advocate—what do you hope people take away about courage, health, and the power of giving?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Unlocking your world of creativity with best-selling author and brand innovator Mark Stinson.
0:09.4	This episode is brought to you by White Cloud Coffee Loasters, where every bean tells a story
0:14.2	of adventure.
0:15.7	Visit whitecloudcoffee.com and use the code creativity.
0:20.6	Welcome back, friends, to our podcast, your world of creativity.
0:24.7	And today we're going to talk about how to put your experience, your creativity,
0:30.4	even in our guest case, athletic endurance into your cause, all your courage, all your power into a cause. And my guest is Dr. Matthew
0:42.1	Harmony. Matt, welcome to the show. Great to be here with you, Mark. Thank you. Matt is a retired
0:48.4	emergency physician, but he's also a living kidney donor and one of the leading advocates for kidney donation in the
0:55.8	U.S. In fact, he donated a kidney to a stranger and then dedicated his whole post-medical
1:02.3	career to eliminating the National Kidney Weight List. He's applied education, mentorship,
1:08.5	policy reform, and is now the chair of the National Kidney
1:12.6	Donation Organization.
1:14.7	And author of a terrific book, Ascending America, which we really want to dive into about
1:19.3	how this told the story of climbing summits to raise awareness for this cause.
1:25.6	Matt, there's a lot going on in this discussion.
1:28.3	Thank you for that very generous introduction, Mark.
1:31.3	I guess we just start with your transition from the ER to this altruism, this cause of kidney donation.
1:39.3	After the years you spent in the ER, you trained, you assess all the risks.
1:51.9	But what inspired you to donate a kidney and then redirect the whole course of your altruism?
1:57.4	Sure. My story actually starts back when I was an undergraduate student.
2:06.6	I was preparing for final exams. I received an unexpected call for my mother. It was about my father. He was 50 at the time. He had been dragged to the hospital, and that's saying a lot to take him to do
	...

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