Audio: Four Women, Four Days, 444 Miles, Four Kidneys

Breck Riley contributed to this story.

KOSCIUSKO, Miss.–Four ladies set out on bicycles to prove, with a 444 mile trip, that people who donate kidneys can do just about anything after the donation they could do before.

Anna Cannington, of Vancleave; Rebekah Thomas, of Burlington, Vermont; Diane Milles, of Meridian, the ride organizer; and Becky Bussey, of Colorado, stopped in Kosciusko for lunch Thursday.

“We started in Nashville and we’re riding to Natchez. We’re doing about a hundred [miles] a day,” said Bussey.

All four women have donated kidneys through a variety of circumstances.

“Mine was five years ago,” said Cannington. “I donated in June of 2019 to somebody that I’d never met but I’d heard about through mutual acquaintances.”

She said she was able to visit with her recipient in Nashville this week. Cannington said when she decided to try and donate she had to go through an intensive testing process to find out if he was a match.

Mills is credited with the idea for the ride, which came from the curiosity of some donors who were not getting clear answers as to whether athletic pursuits were appropriate or even possible after donating a kidney.

“We help answer each other’s questions about what is possible and for the most part everything is possible,” said Cannington. “We can still do everything we did before donation.”

Bussey said they’ve been treated well during the ride and once they reach their destination in Natchez, they’ll have a big ice cream to celebrate.

You can keep up with the ride here.

Audio Story from Friday’s Newscast: