Gilbert man donates kidney to '30 Rock' actor

GILBERT, Ariz. — In one month, a Gilbert man and the man whose life he helped save will be reunited under more relaxing circumstances.

On April 2, Ryan Perkins, 23, who attended Chandler-Gilbert Community College and now works in accounts receivable at Lewis and Roca law firm in Phoenix, will be walking with actor Grizz Chapman, who plays Grizz Griswold in NBC's "30 Rock," in the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney 5K Walk around the main concourse inside Chase Field in Phoenix.

Last June, Perkins, who had been in the hospital for nothing more serious than a broken wrist when he was a kid, donated his kidney to Chapman, 36, who suffered from kidney disease for four years, a condition brought on by hypertension. Diagnosed with high blood pressure about 10 years ago, Chapman was suffering kidney failure, and was going through dialysis three days a week leading up to the transplant. Chapman had been on a kidney transplant waiting list for two years.

While Chapman is in Phoenix as an advocate to the National Kidney Foundation, he and Perkins will get to hang out together for a few days.

"I really had no life before the transplant," Chapman, 36, told the Tribune during a telephone interview last week. "I still did the things I had to do, but I really couldn't plan anything like activity with the kids, basketball practice, plan vacations. I really couldn't do anything that wasn't planned around dialysis. I was living, but life wasn't fun. I'm grateful and appreciative to Ryan."

The walk, which will benefit individuals and families suffering from kidney conditions, is hoped to bring more awareness to kidney disease, the risk factors, warning signs and steps to take that may prevent kidney damage, during National Kidney Awareness Month in March. About 1,000 walkers are expected to take part.

The walk is not an annual event, but this year, the Kidney Foundation of Arizona wanted to step up its awareness efforts about the disease that affects about 600,000 Arizonans each year. About 70,000 people on the transplant waiting list in Arizona are in need of a kidney transplant.

Perkins, who said he really couldn't pinpoint what made him decide to become a donor, began doing research on his own about a year ago, and was tested through the altruistic kidney donation program at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.

Realizing he could have a significant impact on someone by donating an organ without much risk or change to his everyday life, Perkins said he thought it was a "cool concept."