Dressed as Santa, kidney transplant recipient Dan Reed returned to Mayo Clinic to thank his transplant team and spread holiday cheer. 

"I knew 2025 would be a big year for me," Dan says. 

For Dan, May 2025 brought the greatest gift of all: the gift of life. 

Dan's journey to transplant first came to light in 2024, when he shared his story publicly while awaiting a kidney transplant. That journey came full circle this holiday season when he returned to the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota — this time healthy, thriving and dressed in a familiar red suit. 

"Not only are kidney transplants possible, they're doable, life-changing. And Mayo is just a phenomenal place to have it done," Dan says.  

Each holiday season, Dan volunteers as Santa, spreading joy and connection within the community. This year, he wanted that tradition of giving to include the Mayo Clinic transplant team who supported him through his transplant journey. 

Dan was joined by Steve Eckhouse, his best friend of more than 40 years and the person who helped initiate the living donor chain that ultimately led to Dan receiving a kidney. Together, they visited Mayo Clinic physicians, nurses, transplant coordinators and staff to personally express their gratitude. 

"I was happy to learn that anybody could possibly be eligible (to be a donor)," Steve says. 

For the transplant team, the visit offered a meaningful opportunity to see the impact of their work — from a patient thriving after transplant, to the friend who helped make it possible. 

Watch: Kidney transplant recipient visits transplant care team

Mayo Clinic Transplant Center is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world. With programs in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo Clinic provides seamless, coordinated care across the full spectrum of transplantation, including living donation. 

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