Keith Gooch

Type of Donation:       kidney donor

Age and Location:      Age 63 – Fresno, CA

Date of Transplant:           3/10/2015

Sponsor:                      Honored by OneLegacy

KEITH’S STORY

Keith Gooch is a Kidney donor. In 2015, Keith was able to donate and give a second chance of life to his (late) brother Charles Patrick Gooch and nine others through the Kidney Exchange Program. Keith’s 1st experience with organ donation, however, came long before 2015. His late father, Sergeant Charles Gooch received a heart donation after many years of fighting heart disease. Keith also had an older sister named Cynthia who too, suffered from heart disease and would also receive a heart transplant. When his brother Charles took ill, without hesitation Keith made the life altering decision to become a living donor.

The only problem was, Keith was obese. Doctors had informed him that to become a donor, he needed to lose weight. In one month, Keith lost 24 pounds. Keith’s love and dedication for sports and family would motivate him during this journey. He knew that to become a donor would be a lifetime commitment. With the support of his wife Lynette and four children, they made that journey a little easier. Today, Keith is an active advocate within his community on the benefits of being a donor and he also started a Non-Profit, in Memory of his late brother Charles called, “Chucky’s Kids.” It was established to promote healthy living, benefits of being a donor/living-donor, post donor support and a scholarship fund.

Keith is a firm believer in “Your Health is Your Wealth.” After his retirement from the Department of Corrections, Keith has dedicated his time to healthy living, community outreach and educating minority groups on the benefits of organ donation and the lack thereof in underserved communities.

In his spare time, Keith loves to golf, go on morning walks, train kids in their desired sports and attending church. Keith believes the legacy of every donor shall live on.