>>VIC MICOLUCCI: POSITIVELY JAX. HERE’S SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT. A JACKSONVILLE NATIVE
GOT A SECOND CHANCE TO
COMPLETE A MARATHON AND SHE
FINISHED. THIS IS AFTER SHE
SELFISHLY DONATED HER KIDNEY
TO A STRANGER IN NEED ASHLEY
CIRCLE WAS FORCED TO WITHDRAW
FROM HER LAST MARATHON, BUT
GOT TO COMPETE IN THIS YEAR’S
MARATHON IN SAN FRANCISCO. SHE
CROSSED THAT FINISH LINE. ALL
THANKS TO A CAMPAIGN CALLED
NOT DONE YET. YEAH, WE LOVE
THIS STORY AND SHE IS JOINING
US THIS MORNING. TO TALK ABOUT
HER JOURNEY. GOOD MORNING TO
YOU, ASHLEY. MINING. HEY,
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS.
SO LOOK, THAT’S INCREDIBLE
THAT YOU DID THIS MARATHON.
WHAT’S EVEN MORE REMARKABLE IS
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE WHAT TOOK
PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES. TELL
ME ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, SO I GUESS IN EARLY
OR LATE I CAME ACROSS AN
ARTICLE THAT WAS TELL YOUR
STORY OF MY NOW COME YOURSELF
HAS REALLY TOUCHED BY THAT
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SHE HAD
GOALS AND SHE WANTED TO
ACCOMPLISH THINGS LIKE HAVING
FAMILY AND, YOU KNOW, LATE
2020 WAS JUST LIKE A DARK,
SCARY TIME. EVERYONE’S AND THE
PANDEMIC. WE DIDN’T KNOW IT
WAS HAPPENING. AND I WAS IN
THIS MINDSET WHERE I JUST
REALLY WANTED TO. GIVE BACK
FIND A WAY TO HAVE A POSITIVE
IMPACT ON SOMEONE’S LIFE AND
WHEN I READ THE ARTICLE, I SAW
THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
JUST THAT. AND I SUBMITTED MY
INFORMATION AND 6 MONTHS DOWN,
THE ROAD WAS APPROVED TO 2.
DONATE MY KIDNEY TO HER AND
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: HERE WE ARE.
SO THIS IS A COMPLETE
STRANGER. SOMEBODY YOU’VE
NEVER MET BEFORE. YOU’RE
INSPIRED BY AN ARTICLE ENOUGH
TO GIVE THEM YOUR OWN OREGON.
>> YEAH, WE HAD NOT MET BEFORE
I REACHED OUT TO HER AFTER I
SUBMITTED MY INFORMATION AND
WE BEGIN GETTING TO KNOW EACH
OTHER. BUT WE DIDN’T MEET FOR
THE FIRST TIME UNTIL ABOUT A
WEEK BEFORE ACTUAL SURGERY.
WOW. WOW. SO.
>> WERE YOU NERVOUS GOING
THROUGH THIS?
>> IT’S DEFINITELY A LITTLE
BIT NERVE WRACKING AT FIRST,
BUT I HAD A WONDERFUL,
WONDERFUL TEAM THAT ARMED ME
WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE I
NEEDED TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS
DECISION AND I CANNOT THANK
THEM ENOUGH FOR ALL OF THE
SUPPORT. AND ASHLEY, I GOT TO
ASK, HOW OLD ARE YOU? I’M 30
TO 32. SO YOU’RE 32 YEARS OLD.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: YOU KNOW, YOU
ARE A YOUNG WOMAN AND YOU
DECIDED TO HAVE THIS SURGERY
JUST OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF
YOUR HEART. WHAT MESSAGE DO
YOU WANT TO SPREAD TO OTHER
PEOPLE?
>> SO I JUST I DID THIS
MARATHON TO RUN IT TO SHOWCASE
THAT. LIFE’S HOST DONATION IS
NOT PHYSICALLY I WANT PEOPLE
TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN STILL
CONTINUE TO GO OUT AND
ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAMS IN.
THAT WAS WHAT DREW ME TO BEING
PART OF DEGREES NOT DONE YET.
TEAM IS LIKE MY TEAMMATES AND
I ONE HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.
THE OTHER HAD HAS BEEN
DEGENERATIVE EYE SO HE IS ALL
3 OF US WENT OUT THERE CONQUER
THIS MARATHON, FINISHED IT TO
SHOWCASE THAT, YOU KNOW,
WHATEVER OBSTACLES ARE IN YOUR
WAY, YOU CAN GO OUT AND
ACCOMPLISH THOSE AND I’M SORRY
YOU OUT NOT THOSE DOWNS AND
ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAMS. WOW.
WOW. THAT’S INCREDIBLE. SO
DIDN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS
RUNNING THAT MARATHON.
>> IT WAS A BRUTAL COURSE. SAN
FRANCISCO, SUPER HILLY, BUT I
DID SENATE AND SO EXCITED AND
SO PROUD OF THAT AND YOUR
MEDAL. IF YOU’RE HERO AWARD.
>> IT’S CUT OFF ON THE BOTTOM
OF THE SCREEN. HOLD IT UP
RIGHT THERE THEY GO. THAT IS
AWESOME. I WANT TO SEE IT.
THAT IS REALLY, REALLY COOL.
>> SO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR
RELATIONSHIP TODAY WITH YOUR
RECIPIENT.
>> WE STILL KEEP IN SHE’S PART
OF MY FAMILY NOW. YOU KNOW,
SHE’S BECOME ANOTHER SUPPORT
SYSTEM FOR ME. AND I THINK
THAT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING
THAT’S COME OUT OF COME OUT OF
DONATING TO HER.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: ALL RIGHT.
AND FINALLY, YOUR MESSAGE TO
ANYBODY ELSE THAT IS MAYBE ON
THE FENCE ABOUT SHOULD I DO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS? THIS IS A
HUGE CHANGE IN MY LIFE. THIS
IS IT A HUGE DONATION.
>> YEAH, IT’S AN INCREDIBLY
REWARDING EXPERIENCE. I’M LIKE
I SAID, I GAINED ANOTHER
SUPPORT SYSTEM. ANOTHER MEMBER
OF MY FAMILY, BUT IT ALSO IT
HELPS SO MANY MORE PEOPLE
BEYOND YOU KNOW, 66 SAY THAT.
EVERY DONATION WILL PEOPLE
THAT ARE ON THE CURRENT
TRANSPLANT LIST AND AFFECTS
POSITIVELY. 75 OTHER ARE. SO
IT’S AN ABSOLUTE WONDERFUL
THING.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WONDERFUL,
WONDERFUL IS THE WORD WE
CANNOT. THANK YOU ENOUGH.
ASHLEY ZIRKLE, I KNOW IF
YOU’RE COMING TO US FROM
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, BUT YOU
ARE A JACKSONVILLE NATIVE. AND
LET ME TELL YOU, THE RIVER