GoFundMe: Former Idaho Falls Bandits star Nate Rose in need of a kidney transplant

IDAHO FALLS – Nate Rose has been playing baseball since age 5.

Now 22, he can look back at the good times when he and his Idaho Falls Bandits teammates celebrated a historic American Legion World Series title.

That was 2021.

There was a huge trophy. There was a colorful and boisterous parade downtown as the city celebrated the team’s success on the national stage.

The team’s win was front page news in the local paper.

But not everyone saw what it took to get there.

For Rose, those memories will last a lifetime, but so will the memory of those days when he didn’t feel like he could play. There were the days of constant cramping, aches and pain.

Diagnosed in 2018 with kidney disease, Rose pushed through the tough times with his love of baseball.

“There were a few times at regionals in 2021 that I would sit behind the dugout in the shade, throwing up,” he said.

There were good days and bad days as Rose monitored his health and continued to play baseball as best he could.

The Idaho Falls High grad was a pitcher and shortstop, and helped lead the Bandits to the 2021 American Legion World Series championship where he was named American Legion Player of the Year and tabbed MVP of the World Series.

The Bandits were runners-up at the World Series in 2022.

“I look back frequently,” Rose said of his baseball career with the Bandits.
“Starting out with a group of guys who you can build friendships and relationships with on and off the field … Getting to the World Series twice, it was definitely a lot of perseverance. We all have our own battles we have to get through.”

Amid the trophies and parades, Rose’s main battle continued.

He attended the College of Southern Idaho to play baseball but was in and out of the hospital. He moved on to Utah State University Eastern, but eventually gave up baseball.

Rose has since started a pressure washing company with business in Utah and Idaho that keeps him busy.

But last winter his labs eventually dropped to the point where he would require a kidney transplant.

That was hopeful news. The bad news is that it typically takes three to five years, or longer, to get a kidney transplant.

The family eventually found a program where if someone donates a viable kidney, then the wait time with their patient would be cut down substantially.

Nate’s mother Tosha donated a kidney, putting Nate on a quicker path to the much-needed surgery.

Instead of potentially years to wait for the transplant, Rose is set for surgery on Aug. 26.

It’s a long process, but Rose said he’s hopeful for a full recovery after some downtime.

In the meantime, he’s been following the Bandits’ exploits as they play in the postseason with a shot at making it back to the American Legion World Series.

Those were some great memories, he noted.

He also hasn’t completely shut the door on baseball, although it’s likely a longshot and might be frowned upon by his medical team.

“It took a toll on me when I had to hang it up,” he said. “It’s kind of what I lived for. I’ve thought about it in the back of my mind that I could pull the cleats off the shelf.

“Time will tell.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Rose’s medical expenses. For more information check out the page.