What is Your Voice for Kidney Health?

Glenna Frey | Posted on May 31, 2022 |

Read Glenna’s mission speech that celebrates the first National Kidney Foundation Northwest Ohio Kidney Walk on June 12, 2022, in Toledo, Ohio. To join the walk, register *free* HERE. You may attend in person or virtually!

We are all Voices for Kidney Health!

My personal Voice for Kidney Health is to help the 90,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list get a healthy kidney! Will you join me in Breaking the Silence? Who would you donate your kidney to? Your children, spouse, parents, other family, friends, or even a stranger?

I’m a nephrology nurse. I wanted to donate my kidney to my daughter, Amanda. She has Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) but currently has normal kidney function. So instead, 5 years ago I donated my kidney to a stranger and she has a voucher (like a coupon) for a kidney if she needs it later. I gave now and she benefits later with a living kidney transplant if and when she needs it. A living kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure.

I was able to help a 53-year-old father get off dialysis and return to work. I only have one regret as a living donor: that I only have 1 kidney to give away. That is why we need your help – to talk about living kidney donation so more people can get the best treatment. Maybe someone at the NKF Walk this year will discover a desire to donate a kidney.

What is your personal Voice for Kidney Health?

The National Kidney Foundation has 3 important roles I want to highlight.

Education

The National Kidney Foundation website has a wealth of information about anything kidney-related.
- Public education like “Your Kidneys and You” and “The Big Ask, The Big Give” will enlighten you about these magic organs that keep you alive. These are in a webinar or in-person format.
- Health Care Professionals can find tools, research articles, and education to help better care for your patients with kidney disease throughout all the stages and types of treatment. These are in written, webinar, or in-person formats.

Advocacy

- This means supporting the laws that benefit those with kidney disease. Contacting legislators to help them understand the disease and its impact on those they serve.
- Changing the laws is how we change kidney care across the country.

Collaboration

- By joining with other kidney-related organizations, we can move forward with the mission to prevent kidney disease, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by kidney disease and increase the availability of kidneys for transplant.
- NKF of Northern Ohio even collaborates with a teeny tiny nonprofit in Northwest Ohio called Kidney Donor Conversations. This was started by me and Amanda 4 years ago to provide education and support for living kidney donation.
  - We challenge everyone to visit our table on walk day to ask a question about living donation. Get your picture with Kinsey, the big red kidney & play our easy & fun Kidney Game.

A living kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure.

Break the Silence. Talk about who YOU would donate your kidney to, as your Voice for Kidney Health!

Consider This!

Maybe you would like to know if you are healthy enough to be a living kidney donor.

For help, go to Kidney Donor Conversations at www.MyKDC.org.

Resources

National Kidney Foundation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Receive Living Kidney Transplant/Donor Updates HERE

Would you like more information about Living Kidney Donation, email us at info@MyKDC.org