Reno's Lalli honored for selfless organ donation

Six times every season, the Reno Aces hold a Home Run for Life game, presented by Donor Network West, to honor a Nevada community member who has been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. On Friday night, the event took on even more meaning as the club had an opportunity to recognize one of their own.

Team manager Blake Lalli rounded the bases at Greater Nevada Field with his girlfriend, Aleah Hartung, who was the recipient of his kidney donation earlier this year.

“I don’t want us to be treated different than any other Home Run for Life.” Lalli said. “I’ve been a part of these for a long time, and they are all so special. I’ve enjoyed every one of them as a spectator standing on the foul line, giving them high-fives. I don’t think you ever think that you’re going to be the one doing it.”

Lalli was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Cubs on May 22, 2006, and he made his big league debut on May 18, 2012. On Feb. 1, 2021, he became the youngest manager in Aces history and the first to have previously played for the team. Despite all of these benchmarks, Lalli prefers another special date -- the one when he met Aleah. He wears the number 29 in remembrance of that date, and also Dec. 29, 2008, when she received her first kidney transplant.

Hartung’s kidneys never fully developed during infancy, which led to her first kidney failure diagnosis at the age of 18. Her mother, Sandra Hartung, was her first donor. She remained healthy until last year when her kidney function declined again. Both Lalli and Aleah’s father, Vaughn Hartung, underwent testing to determine their viability as donors, and on Jan. 18, 2024, Lalli received the call that he was a perfect match.

“When we found out Aleah needed another transplant, it was a no-brainer to go through the testing,” said Lalli. “We heard that it was about a one-in-100,000 chance that I would be a match. Even with those numbers, I just had a feeling that I was going to be her match -- it was the greatest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”

Lalli and Hartung went in for the transplant on March 5, and both have returned to living healthy, happy lives. Hartung serves as a Donor Network West ambassador to share her story and advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation.

“From the recipient standpoint, you get put in such a vulnerable position. How do you ask somebody to get tested when you’re in need of an organ and you’re looking at dialysis or on dialysis?” Hartung said. “The fact that Blake was my match, I think it’s really cool for people to know that it doesn’t just have to be a family member. We hope that this could help inspire somebody else that says, ‘Hey, my neighbor is on dialysis. Maybe I’ll get tested for them.’”

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Over 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and the average wait time to receive a transplant is around 3.6 years according to the National Kidney Foundation. Donor Network West connects organ and tissue donors to people in need throughout northern California and northern Nevada, ensuring that as many people as possible receive life-saving transplants.

“If you have a chance to help someone, do it.” Lalli said. “You can live a really healthy life afterwards with little to zero complications. You can help save someone’s life by getting them off the donor list. It’s a special thing.”