Kingsport man walks daily for a kidney transplant

KINGSPORT — Kingsport resident Tim Baldwin laces up his shoes every day and heads out for his walk. Some days, he's joined by friends and co-workers; other days, his family tags along. It's not just a walk, though. Each step brings Baldwin closer to a kidney transplant. Baldwin, 54, has been documenting his journey online as "Walking for a Kidney," sharing updates on Facebook as he works to lose weight and qualify for a transplant. He is currently on dialysis, with both of his kidneys functioning at about 5%. "It was around 2022, I started having kidney issues," Baldwin said. "My creatinine level started going up, so I was referred to a nephrologist." His condition remained stable for about eight months, but then his kidney function worsened. Baldwin was placed on dialysis in December 2024. "My kidneys just completely failed," he said. In March 2025, Baldwin was referred to a kidney transplant clinic in Kentucky. There, doctors told him he needed to lose 80 pounds before he could be placed on the transplant list. "The biggest problem as far as kidney transplant has been my weight," he said. "I've always been a big guy. I didn't even know how much I weighed when I was at my heaviest because I couldn't find a scale big enough." Since the beginning of his weight loss journey, Baldwin said he has lost 370 pounds. He said the turning point came the day of his transplant clinic visit. "When that doctor told me I needed to lose weight, I just got it in my mind that I was going to walk it all off," he said. Since then, Baldwin has been walking every day, losing weight and getting closer to a transplant. "It hurt at first. I could barely make a half a mile because my knees were terrible, my back was bad," Baldwin said. "But before you knew it, I was walking a mile." Now, he walks about four miles a day. Along the way, Baldwin picked up supporters — including family members, friends and co-workers. "It got to the point where it was about 16 people," he said. "Just a whole group of people walking with me." His wife and a friend designed shirts reading "Tim's Support Group" on the front and "Walking for a Kidney" on the back. The shirts were sold as a fundraiser, and walkers often wear them together. Support has come from every corner of his life, Baldwin said. He works as a sales representative for a food service distributor, and one day, a dozen coworkers met him at the mall in Johnson City to walk. "We [walked] about three miles in that day. Even the president of our company was right there walking with me," he said. Baldwin has already lost the initial 80 pounds his doctor required. Since then, his doctor has given him the goal of losing 70 more pounds. Once he does, Baldwin said he expects to be placed on the transplant list. "I've got several friends that are ready and willing to be a donor for me," he said. "That's just a huge blessing." Throughout the process, Baldwin says his faith has carried him, especially during his first dialysis treatment. "I was panicking because of what my future was going to be on dialysis," he said. "And I was laying there in the hospital bed and then all of a sudden, I just felt a comfort and a peace that just hit me." "A voice spoke to me, just plain as day, and said, 'Have I ever left you?'" Baldwin recalled. "And I said, 'No, Lord, you haven't.' And God said, 'Well, I'm right here with you now.'" Baldwin is also a longtime gospel singer and continues to sing and travel to local churches. He said he also enjoys painting and playing guitar and mandolin with friends. Despite kidney disease, Baldwin said he feels better than he has in years. "I'm literally healthier, even though I have kidney disease," he said. "I'm healthier now than I was before I started dialysis just because I've lost so much weight. There's no way I could go through this without God, and I'm thankful that I can sing for Him and give Him praises, because that just means everything to me." Baldwin documents his walks and posts photos on Facebook almost daily. He said he hopes sharing his story will encourage others to consider organ donation. "There are so many people that are on dialysis and on the kidney transplant list that desperately need a kidney," Baldwin said. "Just to be able to give your kidney to someone is just the most amazing gift that you can ever imagine."