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The 2023 Rider and Support Team
Caleb Canal, 2023 Team Captain
Donation Advocate
Tyler, TX
“My brother, Joshua” was a heart transplant recipient many years ago. The transplant enabled him to live a normal, productive life.
After many years, his transplanted heart began to fail and he was once again put on the list for a heart. this time, however, the call saying a heart was available for Josh never came.
Josh was able to be a tissue donor and give back to others who needed a transplant.”
Jennifer Alpard
Living Kidney Donor
Houston, TX
“My first-year riding with the team was literally life changing.
I have a foundation: The Cade R. Alpard Foundation for Pediatric Liver Disease. Our mission includes organ donor awareness. My husband and I started the foundation 19 years ago after our 1-year-old son underwent a life-saving liver transplant. He is now a healthy 20-year-old junior at Texas A&M University.
I had always wanted to give back and pay it forward and bring awareness to the importance of organ donation. On June 16, 2021, I donated a kidney to a stranger. I want to share my story and be the support to someone who may be considering being a donor.”
I believe the most important thing we can do is get out there and educate people on the importance of being an organ, tissue and blood donor.
Gabe Canal
Donation Advocate
Tyler, TX
Gabe has been involved in organ and tissue donation for many years. His brother, Joshua, received a heart transplant which enabled him to have many more years of a very productive and happy life.
When Josh’s heart began to fail, he was once again put on the transplant list, but was unable to find a donor. When Josh passed away, he shared his life with others through tissue donation. Gabe and his family continue to share Josh’s story to encourage others to join the Donate Life Texas Registry.
Seth Cooke
Donation Advocate
Tyler, TX
“As a rookie rider in 2017, I learned so much about donating life and sharing the story if my brother (a donor) who passed way 17 years ago in a motorcycle accident.
During my first tour, I loved meeting the different donor and recipient families. Being able to connect with other families that have been through similar events, you learn to love, laugh, cry and heal. I want to once again help further life donation awareness.”
Tim Dixon
Donation Advocate
Trinity, TX
“This team has been a large part of my life. I was on the very first Lone Star Circle of Life team in 1999 and have served as team captain for two years.
Having been involved with organ and tissue donation as a funeral director has allowed me to see the healing that begins when the family makes that hard choice to have a loved one be the gift of life.”
Melanie Hartman
Kidney Transplant Recipient
Happy, TX
“I was really not aware of the need for transplants until I needed one for myself when I was diagnosed with nephropathy in 2003. For 14 months, my life revolved around dialysis treatments and hospital stays. My gift of life came from my brother.
Since my transplant, I have finished college, I’m now an active mom and live life to the fullest. This will be my 18th anniversary of my transplant.
This tour offers me an opportunity to live life to the fullest and be a part of something larger and more impactful than I could have ever imagined. I think it is important for the families of donors to know the impact that their loved ones created and that they are not forgotten.”
Todd Monsen
Kidney Donor
Waco, TX
“After a few years of watching my friend Matt Shane go through kidney failure and one unsuccessful transplant, something told me that I needed to see if I was a candidate for kidney donation. In November 2022, I began the screening process. A few months later, we discovered that I was a match for Matt. I was blessed to donate my kidney to him on May 17, 2023.
Since beginning the screening process and especially since the donation, I have seen a whole new world within the organ, blood, and tissue donation community. There are so many inspiring stories. Everyone, from donors and recipients, to family members and friends, to advocates and healthcare professionals, plays such an important and meaningful role. I am honored to be a part of the community now and to be able to ride on this year’s team.
I hope to be able to add my voice to those who helped me feel comfortable and confident about organ donation. I especially want to help people understand that a completely normal, active, full life is possible after donating a kidney. I hope my story and experience can help others make the decision to become a donor.”
Sarah Pipkin-Love
Heart Transplant Recipient
Corpus Christi, TX
“I am extremely excited to once again be chosen for the tour, as it is one of the best weeks of my year. This is a week where I get to be around others who “get it” and understand what it is to be around the transplant world. This is the one place in my life where I get to feel normal and what a week it is!
I would like to participate in the tour this year to help others feel this same sense of normal. To meet others and to say I have been where they are has a huge impact. I know that when I was waiting for my heart transplant, I just wanted to talk with someone who was my age that had been through the same things I was going through. If there is any way that I can be that person for someone else and help them, that’s what we are called to do and how I want to leave a legacy. The impact that we can make on others and the communities through this ride are life giving.
I believe I have the ability to meet people where there are in many situations. I am not only a heart transplant recipient, but also a recipient of blood and platelets. I have seen what it is like on the other side watching Chance, my husband, struggle while he is fighting cancer. Donor awareness is important to my life and it has taken many people’s life-saving donations to help save my life. It is because of them that I have been able to complete in an Ironman 70.3, run multiple marathons, get married, teach school, coach sports and make an impact on the world.
I am a soccer coach at Calallen High School and this year our motto is “leave a legacy.” I want to leave a legacy on this world and I want it to be one where I was able to help others. I believe that is one of the greatest gifts we can leave on this Earth. Riding in the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour is one way where we get to help others and leave a lasting impact.
Mark Scotch
Kidney Donor
Plover, WI
“Early in 2020, I met Hugh Smith, who had been accepted on the waitlist for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. This meant he was one of nearly 100,000 Americans waiting for a life-saving kidney. After meeting Hugh, I knew what I wanted to do: give one of his kidneys to Hugh Smith.
By mid-August, 2020, we had both gone through extensive medical testing and screening. Through the National Kidney Registry Voucher Program, I became a “voucher donor”. I was matched with a recipient somewhere in the country and once the kidney donation was complete, I could name Hugh as the person I wanted to benefit, which would give him higher priority on the National Kidney Registry transplant list.
The voucher system allowed me do everything at my local hospital in Madison, Wisconsin while Hugh went to his local hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, and was given higher priority on the transplant list.”
In September, I was matched with a compatible individual in New York and successfully donated one of my kidneys. In February, Hugh Smith received his much-needed kidney from Southern California. Both of us are healthy and have resumed normal lifestyles.”
Chance Sebek
Parent of a Recipient
Belton, TX
“My wife, Megan, and I welcomed our first child in 2010. After an uneventful pregnancy and birth, she immediately made her way to the NICU. Our baby girl had a Biliary Atresia, a rare liver disease that affects bile transportation due to scarring and blockages. At two months old, a surgery called the Kasai Procedure was performed in attempts to remove the damaged bile ducts and replacing them with a re-routing of small intestine. The surgery was not successful in restoring any viable function for our daughter and after she began to quickly decline requiring tube feeding, hospitalizations and IV nutritional therapy.
Both my wife and I are nurses, so we knew very well the medical aspects of what was happening, but we were blindsided that it was our baby who was sick. She was transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital for liver transplant evaluation. Her condition continued to decline until November 29, 2010 when she received her perfect gift – a liver transplant, from an unknown donor.
We are forever grateful for this miraculous gift. She has been admitted only two other times since receiving this transplant over 11 years ago. Now, we have a beautiful nearly 12-year-old who is in middle school and very active in her club swim team. We have had the amazing opportunity to attend the Transplant Games in 2018, and look forward to participating in summer 2022.
Over covid, I took up cycling and have been riding ever since. Our daughter heard of the Lone Star Circle of Life Team through her school counselor and it is my honor and privilege to ride on her behalf and that of her donor and donors everywhere. As nurses we are able to use this experience of our life to share with others personally and professionally and I am very excited to ride in this year’s event.”
Matt Shane
Kidney Recipient
Hewitt, TX
“I was born with a rare chronic kidney disease gene called Alports Syndrome. This gene did not affect my life growing up and I participated in many activities including cross country skiing and track.
In the fall of 2014, I was training for my first full distance Ironman when I was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure. I did compete and finished my first full Ironman. Over the next few years, I would run a handful of half marathons including the Miracle Match Marathon and the Waco Ironman, but I was involved in a serious mountain bike accident in 2019, breaking 10 bones, bruised hip and a punctured lung.
This accident caused significant internal trauma that stressed my kidneys to where they shut down completely. After a week-long stay in the hospital trying to regain kidney function, it was determined that my kidneys were in stage 5, complete renal failure and I needed a kidney transplant. I received my kidney in 2020 from my cousin, Ian, who gave me a second chance of life.
My first kidney transplant lasted two and half years. I found out March of 2022 that my transplant was showing signs of failure and went through numerous treatments to save the kidney. These were unsuccessful and in August of 2022 started dialysis and to search for another donor. I found out in December of 2022 my good friend, Todd Monson, had been testing without telling me and that he was a match. We were planning on a surgery date of March 1st, 2023, but that date was pushed back after I broke my hip playing Pickleball. Once recovered from that injury we rescheduled surgery for May 17h.
The surgery was a success as well as recovery. Looking forward to getting back to a modified normal lifestyle. ”
Support Team
Keith Steward, Head Support
Kidney Transplant Recipient
Gatesville
“I received a kidney transplant from a living non-related donor in 2007. My sister and her sons have also received Kidney transplants and have others in my family who will most likely need one in the future due to the same disease. I want to do my part to share the message of the need for donations because of the impact they have had on my family.”
Joe Canal
Parent of a Recipient & Donor,
Tyler, TX
“The Circle of Life has meant so much to our family during our son, Josh’s, life and since he has passed away. It really is like a place of refuge for us to be with other families who have experienced similar situations. It’s also a blessing to comfort those who have suffered and bring awareness to the great need of donation.
This team is like a second family to us and we are forever grateful to be involved in this awesome organization.”
Chris Clemes
Team Mechanic
Houston, TX
Chris joins the Lone Star team for the first year a our team mechanic.
Debbie Fendrick, Head Pace Car
Donation Advocate
Temple, TX
This is Debbie’s 8th Lone Star Tour. As head pace car driver, she helps keep the team safe and going where they need to go.
Debbie has spent eleven years volunteering with the Baylor Scott & White Child Life Department on Camp Dreamcatcher, a camp for Children with cancer that allows the children to enjoy a normal summer camp experience while still receiving the necessary specialized medical care they need.
Becky Canal Pace Car Navigator
Parent of a Recipient & Donor
Tyler, TX
“Our eldest son, Joshua” was a heart transplant recipient many years ago. When his heart failed and he was unable to find another heart donor, he became a tissue donor and give back to others who needed a transplant.”
Holly McCoy, Tour Photographer and Videographer
Donation Advocate
Pflugerville, TX
This is Holly’s 13th Lone Star Tour. She is the team photographer and videographer who captures each tour on film.
Holly is the co-owner of Centerpoint Air in the Temple and Round Rock area.
Debbie Mabry, Tour Coordinator
Donation Advocate
Temple, TX
“Having been a member of all of the Lone Star Circle of Life tours, I have seen first-hand the impact of this event. I have seen people come up to tell me they started donating blood because of the message they heard at the tour, as well as many who have told me they joined both registries because of this tour.
This is a life-changing event for the riders and for those who hear their message.”