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Seeking hope and positivity in tough times, people often quote this iconic line from Mr. Rogers, “Look for the helpers.” His point is exemplified by Taylor Pikkarainen, a 27-year-old Twin Cities-based traveling nurse. As a healthcare hero on the front lines, she dedicated herself to COVID patients in New Jersey between April and June. Then in July, as a benevolent hero to a grateful family, she donated her kidney to an eighteen-month-old boy...
Written by: Jennifer Cramer-Miller
On the evening on May 5th, Andrea Deanovic Schmidt attended the Minnesota National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Orange Gala, like she has many times before, as a grateful kidney transplant recipient and board member. But this year’s event became extra special. Because this year, as she sat with her brother Pete Deanovic (her heroic kidney donor), Andrea received the Arthur P. Pasquarella Leadership in...
With your support, we are fighting to extend Medicare’s coverage for immunosuppressive medications to ensure all patients have access to these lifesaving drugs. On January 8th, Dr. Matthew Cooper, a member of NKF’s National Board of Directors, testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to support the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for...
Have you ever wondered why health professionals ask for a urine sample? The kidneys remove waste material, fluids, and other substances from the blood. The urine can contain many different clues to how your body is doing. Your urine tells a lot about your health. Testing the urine is known as “urinalysis” (analysis of the urine). The most common use of urinalysis is to detect substances or cells in the urine that point to...
Recently two of the biggest champions for kidney patients in Congress, Reps. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Jason Smith (R-MO), introduced the Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act (H.R. 5426). This bill is the result of months of discussion amongst the kidney community on the best ways to improve patient access and success on home dialysis.
We’ve heard from many patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic who were dialyzing in a facility but...
By Melissa Bensouda, Kidney Patient and NKF Kidney Advocacy Committee Member
No place like homeMy appreciation for the phrase “There’s no place like home” has reached an entirely new level over the last six weeks of quarantine. Like many in the U.S., my initial thoughts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early stages were centered around typical survival needs of food and water. However, as...
Everyone needs some blood pressure so that blood can get to all of the body’s organs. But how much is enough? How much is too much?
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer,” because it usually doesn't cause symptoms. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It points to a higher risk of having heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Doctors have known for a long time that blood pressure that...
Now that summer is approaching, many of our minds have turned to vacation plans. Whether you imagine relaxing on sandy beaches, tubing on a snow-capped mountain, or taking a tour around a city, here’s how to prepare for traveling while on dialysis.
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