Six months ago, she donated a kidney. Now, this Cranston doc is running a half-marathon.

Dr. Stephanie Krusz says she feels better with one kidney than she did with two.

Krusz, a Cranston primary care doctor, donated a kidney to a close friend's brother in September. Six months later, she's ready to run a half-marathon in New Bedford.

"I really haven't missed a beat whatsoever," said Krusz, 54. "If anything, I feel better."

The recipient of Krusz's kidney, Glen Rodrigues, spent two years on dialysis because of kidney failure. Awaiting a transplant, he'd go to dialysis three days a week, four hours a day. He's grateful to have his life back.

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"I feel great, fantastic," Rodrigues said. "I'm back to regular living."

A gym owner in Lynn, Massachusetts, Rodrigues is again working full time, and he's working out six or seven days a week. He recently took a vacation in the Dominican Republic, something he couldn't have done while on dialysis.

Why did Krusz donate her kidney?

Krusz decided to donate a kidney to Rodrigues after his sister, Brenda, told her about his medical plight. Brenda Rodrigues and Krusz are longtime friends who run together and are training for the New Bedford Half Marathon on Sunday.

Brenda says Glen was "once the walking dead." Now, she says, "It's like a win-win for both of them. Stephanie and Glen are doing amazing."

"It is so awesome to have my brother back alive and thriving," said Brenda, a Cranston resident. "He was freed from the handcuffs of dialysis."

Leading up to the surgery, Krusz also developed a friendship with Glen. Last week, they got together with Brenda; Glen's fiancée, Krystal Patch; and Glen's daughter, Eva, to celebrate the six-month anniversary.

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Still plenty of need for kidney donors

The kidney was transplanted Sept. 7 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Since then, Krusz has been receiving regular texts from Glen thanking her and telling her how good he's feeling. After The Providence Journal published a story in October about Krusz's kidney donation, Glen had a copy framed and gave it to Krusz.

With that gift hanging in the waiting room at Cranston Primary Care, many patients know Krusz's story, and some have asked about her experience as a donor. She can tell them she can still do everything she could do before the surgery.

Krusz could also tell them there's still plenty of need for kidney donors. On March 9, there were 271 people waiting for a kidney transplant at Rhode Island Hospital, the only hospital in the state that does transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

The hospital performed 57 kidney transplants last year and 51 in 2021, according to UNOS, a private, nonprofit organization that manages the nation's organ-transplant system under contract with the federal government.

Nationally, there were a record 25,499 kidneys transplanted in 2022, up from a record 24,670 in 2021, according to Anne Paschke, media relations specialist for UNOS.

Krusz acknowledges she's probably feeling better because she's taking better care of herself, eating better and drinking plenty of water to ensure she stays hydrated. She's also going to the gym and running regularly.

On a recent Friday morning, Krusz got up at 4:15 a.m. to run with Brenda at 5 because her first patient was scheduled for 7.

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"There's never a day we're sitting around saying we need to drum up business," Krusz said.

Krusz says she can still do everything that she could before the operation. In reality, she might be able to do more.

On Sunday, she will make her first attempt at a half-marathon. Brenda, a New Bedford native, has run the race before, and she knows it's a tough course, starting and ending with long hills.

"She's determined," Brenda says of her friend.

Krusz acknowledges some nerves.

"I get nervous with road races," she said. "I ask myself, 'Why am I doing this?' It's not fun, but you feel amazing when you finish."

The United Network for Organ Sharing says those interested in becoming an organ donor can sign up at registerme.org.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI kidney donor, doctor gearing up for New Bedford half marathon