BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — When Becky and Scott DeGroot toe the line at Saturday's Grandma's Marathon, they fully anticipate the emotions of the last three years to finally hit them. The husband and wife have every reason to celebrate, even before the race is over.
The two have both given, and received, life over the last year. The course to Saturday started more than a decade ago – ahead of the birth of the couple's second child. Scott, during a routine physical, learned he had inherited Polycystic Kidney Disease, a condition that could ultimately lead to the need for a transplant.
At the time, he was young and healthy – routinely running in Ragnar events and other long-distance races. While that continued for the years to come, he noticed a change in his body during the pandemic. "I started noticing, and Becky started noticing, that I wasn't as energetic," Scott DeGroot said.
"Come the first part of 2022, I get told, no, your kidney function has declined to the point where you need to start looking at transplant centers." Doctors told Scott DeGroot that waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor could take years. Becky DeGroot wasn't fit to be a direct match either, as the two don't share a blood type.
The couple created a Facebook page and began the search for a living donor. Becky DeGroot also registered to become a living donor, and in 2023, donated a kidney to a stranger. The process could technically help Scott DeGroot's chances of finding a living donor – but th.