When Kelly Perkins was 30 years old, she noticed even at rest her heart would beat like crazy. It turns out she had a virus that irreparably damaged her heart. Only a donor would save her life.

She said it was agonizing coming to terms with the fact that someone would have to die for her to live. But a heart did become available.

Kelly vowed that not only would she make good use of the incredible gift of life she’d received, she and her husband decided to make a statement.

She climbed to the top of Mount Whitney, Mount Fuji and Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the incredible need for organ donation. She says that for the first time ever, the number of people waiting on a donor has hit 100,000.

Kelly’s experiences spurred her to write the book, “The Climb of My Life: Scaling Mountains With A Borrowed Heart.”

Want to know more about Kelly and her climbs? Check out our special 5 Questions With feature.