Latest news with #AmericanKidneyFund
Business Upturn
08-07-2025
- Health
- Business Upturn
American Kidney Fund Activates Disaster Relief Program to Provide Aid to Dialysis and Post-Transplant Patients Impacted by Flooding in Texas Hill Country
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has activated its Disaster Relief Program to assist dialysis and post-transplant patients living in areas that have been impacted by the devastating floods in central Texas. AKF's Disaster Relief Program is the nation's only rapid-response system that provides emergency financial aid to dialysis and recent transplant patients. The catastrophic flooding struck on Friday on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville killing more than 100 people and causing extensive damage. Evacuation is particularly challenging for people who need to receive dialysis treatments three times per week. 'We are heartbroken to hear about the loss of life and devastation in Texas,' said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. 'In this time of great need, people living with kidney failure are particularly vulnerable, as they rely on dialysis treatments and specific medications and foods to maintain their health. AKF is ready to provide critical assistance to Texas patients who have been impacted by this disaster.' Emergency grants of $250 are available for dialysis and post-transplant patients living in the following counties in Texas: Kerr, Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Williamson and Tom Green. Disaster relief grants help patients with low incomes replace lost medications and kidney-friendly foods (which may be spoiled due to power outages), pay for temporary housing and transportation to treatment, and replace clothing and personal essentials lost due to the natural disaster or the need to evacuate with little to no notice. To donate in support of AKF's disaster relief efforts for the Texas floods, visit AKF's website. AKF covers the administrative costs of this program so that 100% of donations may go directly to patients in need. People with kidney failure are more susceptible to difficulties during a natural disaster, as interruptions to dialysis treatments can put them at risk for being hospitalized. AKF has developed a resource page for patients impacted by the floods, which can be accessed here. AKF has been providing emergency disaster financial assistance to kidney patients throughout all the major disasters that have struck the United States and its territories for the past three decades. Last year, AKF distributed more than 1,600 disaster relief grants totaling nearly $420,000 to people affected by hurricanes and severe storms. Dialysis and recent kidney transplant patients who need emergency financial aid should contact a social worker at their dialysis or transplant clinic for information on applying for aid or apply directly at About the American Kidney Fund The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of the 1 in 7 American adults living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through post-transplant living. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar. For more information, please visit or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
American Kidney Fund Activates Disaster Relief Program to Provide Aid to Dialysis and Post-Transplant Patients Impacted by Flooding in Texas Hill Country
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has activated its Disaster Relief Program to assist dialysis and post-transplant patients living in areas that have been impacted by the devastating floods in central Texas. AKF's Disaster Relief Program is the nation's only rapid-response system that provides emergency financial aid to dialysis and recent transplant patients. The catastrophic flooding struck on Friday on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville killing more than 100 people and causing extensive damage. Evacuation is particularly challenging for people who need to receive dialysis treatments three times per week. 'We are heartbroken to hear about the loss of life and devastation in Texas,' said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. 'In this time of great need, people living with kidney failure are particularly vulnerable, as they rely on dialysis treatments and specific medications and foods to maintain their health. AKF is ready to provide critical assistance to Texas patients who have been impacted by this disaster.' Emergency grants of $250 are available for dialysis and post-transplant patients living in the following counties in Texas: Kerr, Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Williamson and Tom Green. Disaster relief grants help patients with low incomes replace lost medications and kidney-friendly foods (which may be spoiled due to power outages), pay for temporary housing and transportation to treatment, and replace clothing and personal essentials lost due to the natural disaster or the need to evacuate with little to no notice. To donate in support of AKF's disaster relief efforts for the Texas floods, visit AKF's website. AKF covers the administrative costs of this program so that 100% of donations may go directly to patients in need. People with kidney failure are more susceptible to difficulties during a natural disaster, as interruptions to dialysis treatments can put them at risk for being hospitalized. AKF has developed a resource page for patients impacted by the floods, which can be accessed here. AKF has been providing emergency disaster financial assistance to kidney patients throughout all the major disasters that have struck the United States and its territories for the past three decades. Last year, AKF distributed more than 1,600 disaster relief grants totaling nearly $420,000 to people affected by hurricanes and severe storms. Dialysis and recent kidney transplant patients who need emergency financial aid should contact a social worker at their dialysis or transplant clinic for information on applying for aid or apply directly at About the American Kidney Fund The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of the 1 in 7 American adults living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through post-transplant living. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar. For more information, please visit or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 [email protected]
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
American Kidney Fund Launches Kidney Cancer Education Campaign
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ahead of World Kidney Cancer Day on June 19, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced a new educational campaign on renal (kidney) cancer. With support from Merck, this campaign will provide people with kidney cancer and their families and caregivers easy-to-understand information and support. Kidney cancer accounts for 4% of all cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). About 80,000 people are diagnosed with some type of kidney cancer annually, and there were more than 675,000 people living with kidney and renal pelvis cancer in 2022, according to NCI. 'AKF is dedicated to helping people facing any type of kidney issue, including the numerous forms of kidney cancer that can damage these vital organs and spread to other organs,' said AKF President and CEO LaVarne A. Burton. 'We are grateful to Merck for their support in expanding these resources to help thousands of people living with kidney cancer.' As part of the campaign, AKF has developed new educational resources including a Talk-to-Your Doctor downloadable guide and an animated explainer video on kidney cancer. New resources are also available in Spanish. Additionally, AKF has enhanced its existing content on clear and non-clear renal cell carcinoma as well as non-renal cell tumors and other kinds of kidney cancer. The most common type of kidney cancer in adults is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is further divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and non-clear cell renal carcinoma (ncRCC). Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is also known as conventional renal cell carcinoma because it is the most common type of kidney cancer, making up 8 out of 10 cases of adult kidney cancer. Non-clear cell renal carcinoma (nccRCC) is an umbrella term for other kinds of renal cell carcinomas. There are more than 15 types of nccRCC. While doctors do not know what causes kidney cancer, there are some factors that can increase someone's risk of developing it. These include smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure, having a family history of kidney cancer, having certain inherited or genetic diseases, and long-term treatment for kidney failure. ### About the American Kidney Fund The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through transplant. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-Star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar. For more information, please visit or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. CONTACT: Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 ngregory@
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two Chicago-area women desperately search for a living kidney donor: ‘I'm going kicking and screaming'
Katie Pappas had kept a secret for weeks from her students at northwest suburban Timber Trails Elementary. The 40-year-old health teacher's kidney was failing, and she spent around eight to 11 hours every night tethered to a dialysis machine. Eventually, the time came to confide in her students, and she explained that their usually bubbly, upbeat teacher was struggling. Her kindergarteners at the Hoffman Estates school didn't understand kidney disease, but they did understand pollution, Pappas said. 'So Miss Pappas' kidney is not cleaning the pollution in her blood, that's why I'm tired all the time. We understand that,' Pappas said. 'Fourth grade and up, they know the body systems.' Pappas, described by her family and former students as a 'giver,' 'role model' and 'inspiration,' is one of about 3,500 Illinoisans waiting for a kidney transplant in a state where, according to the American Kidney Fund, the average wait time is five to seven years. But Pappas, along with another Chicago mother of four that the Tribune spoke with, may not have that long to wait. They are desperately searching and hoping for their best option, a living donor. 'God, the universe, whatever, has already decided whether I'm getting a kidney or not, and if this is how I'm going out, I am going to shout it from the rooftops. I'm going kicking and screaming,' Pappas said. 'Maybe that's another reason I'm still here, is because I will talk about this to whoever will listen, to bring awareness to the situation,' Pappas continued. 'It's not (just) me. There's so many people and everybody is worth a chance to live their lives with a new kidney.' Experts have been sounding the alarm for years on the severe shortage of kidneys available to transplant, with about 90,000 patients across the country waiting for one. There are lengthy waiting lists for deceased donors at area hospitals, from about 310 people at Rush to 800 at Northwestern, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. The other type of kidney transplant is a living donor transplant, which is from someone who has two healthy kidneys, and donates one to a person in need. While these donations are less common, Dr. Raquel Garcia-Roca, an abdominal transplant surgeon at Loyola University, said they are 'far better quality.' There's more time to learn about the anatomy of the kidney and the donor, including risk factors that may impact kidney function, such as age or diabetes, she said. The kidney also stays outside the body for less time due to advanced planning. 'You don't have to even know the individual that wants to keep your kidney so it's important to be out there and express the need,' Garcia-Roca said. 'Not doing anything is worse than actually trying.' This isn't Pappas' first go-around with a kidney donation. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before her senior year of high school, and received a dual kidney and pancreas transplant from a deceased donor about seven years ago. Afterward, she said, she adopted a mindset of 'earning her organs.' 'It's like: OK, I'm still here, I'm still here,' she said. 'What are you gonna do with it?' For some of Pappas' students, she's more than exceeded this goal. Summer Parker-Hall had Pappas as her fifth grade teacher at St. Helen Catholic School in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Parker-Hall, now 22, said she was a talkative, easily distracted student, but that Pappas helped change her mindset and improve her schoolwork. Parker-Hall remembers Pappas gifting her a cross necklace when she was her confirmation sponsor. Parker-Hall said she lost the necklace after gym class and was scared to tell her teacher. But when she mustered up the courage, Pappas gave her a hug and later bought her a new one. The two grew even closer while Parker-Hall attended Cornell University, she added. 'If I'm going through anything or just need someone to talk to, or just a simple text — I love you, I'm thinking of you, have a great day — it just means so much, especially being so far from home,' she said. Pappas was also Aaron Trinidad's teacher at St. Helen, and later became his godmother. She helped him bump up his grades, 'completely changing my life,' and when he was an adult took him to his first drag show. 'I felt really loved, understood, I felt seen and really comfortable with her,' Trinidad said. 'It showed me how much she supported me and who I was, especially me being a queer person and coming out at Catholic school. It was everything I needed.' At the beginning of last year, Pappas said her kidney function rapidly declined yet again, a 'heartbreaking' development. Her best chance at survival, Pappas recalled her doctors telling her, is getting a kidney from a living donor. Some doctors have recommended she stop teaching while spending hours on dialysis every night, a treatment that's 'very hard on (her) body,' but Pappas knows she'd be depressed staying home all the time. Dialysis filters waste and excess fluid from the blood. 'Two nights ago, I had 29 alarms go off,' Pappas recounted. 'How do you sleep? You don't. You get up the next morning and crawl to Starbucks … but the second the buses come up (at school), it's like a switch in my brain.' At school, Pappas teaches about five classes a day, and even adopted uplifting affirmations into her curriculum. At the beginning and end of class, students recite, 'I'm stronger than I think, I'm braver than I see, I'm stronger than I feel and I can do hard things.' This spring, she helped out with the school's production of 'The Lion King' before coming home and hooking up to the dialysis machine around 6 p.m. 'I have no regular life. There's no regular life anymore,' she said. 'I don't really have time to, like, go shopping or do laundry.' Dana Nikoloulis, Pappas' aunt, is just one of her family members who've stepped up to try to find Pappas a kidney, from helping organize fundraisers to running marketing campaigns. Nikoloulis said it's difficult to watch someone she loves, who enjoys ballet and watching the Rockettes as much as she does, struggle so much. 'I know that there's so much more she has to give,' Nikoloulis said. 'She's meant to have this transplant and live a long, fruitful life and inspire others.' Anyone interested in donating a kidney to Pappas can fill out a kidney donor questionnaire through Northwestern Medicine and enter her name when asked. With prospective living donors, Garcia-Roca, the surgeon from Loyola, said programs operate under the principle of 'do no harm,' meaning they wouldn't take a kidney to benefit someone else if they believe it could harm the donor. Donors go through a fairly in-depth process to evaluate their health and support systems, everything from tissue typing to checking that they have family or friends for emotional support, Garcia-Roca said. At Loyola, about 20% of people who express interest ultimately donate the kidney, she said. 'A good donor is an individual that has normal kidney function, it doesn't really matter the age,' she said. 'That has a renal function that we know when we remove one of the kidneys the other kidney will gain enough function to sustain long-term the kidney function overall.' Christine Hernandez, a 50-year-old former Northwestern nurse and Galewood mother to four, has been searching for years for a donor. She decided to get a kidney biopsy in 2016 because her brothers had kidney disease, and learned that she had lost 60% of her kidney function. She was also diagnosed with the rare MUC1 kidney disease, an inherited condition that causes her kidneys to shrivel up. Within about four years, or what felt like 'a blink of an eye,' she had to go on dialysis. She spends her free time supporting other kidney patients through various organizations, and is known as a 'very special person' and 'very appreciative' by one advocate. 'Everything I had planned for my future, the trips I wanted to take my daughter on, everything stopped. Everything stopped,' Hernandez said. 'Right now I'm a prisoner of my own body.' Hernandez has waited on the transplant for six years, but said her doctor believes a living donor is likely the best option because she has rare antibodies. Potential donors for Hernandez can call UI Health Chicago's transplant coordinator Anita Pakrasi at 312-355-9820. Sometimes Hernandez feels like breaking down and stopping dialysis, especially after she started having 'nightmare' allergic reactions to the treatment. Her face turns red and hives cover her body. But her mom and kids convinced her to keep fighting and holding out hope that her kidney is coming soon. 'My doctor says there's a needle in a haystack and your donor is here in the U.S.,' she said. 'Somewhere.'
Chicago Tribune
14-06-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Two Chicago-area women desperately search for a living kidney donor: ‘I'm going kicking and screaming'
Katie Pappas had kept a secret for weeks from her students at northwest suburban Timber Trails Elementary. The 40-year-old health teacher's kidney was failing, and she spent around eight to 11 hours every night tethered to a dialysis machine. Eventually, the time came to confide in her students, and she explained that their usually bubbly, upbeat teacher was struggling. Her kindergarteners at the Hoffman Estates school didn't understand kidney disease, but they did understand pollution, Pappas said. 'So Miss Pappas' kidney is not cleaning the pollution in her blood, that's why I'm tired all the time. We understand that,' Pappas said. 'Fourth grade and up, they know the body systems.' Pappas, described by her family and former students as a 'giver,' 'role model' and 'inspiration,' is one of about 3,500 Illinoisans waiting for a kidney transplant in a state where, according to the American Kidney Fund, the average wait time is five to seven years. But Pappas, along with another Chicago mother of four that the Tribune spoke with, may not have that long to wait. They are desperately searching and hoping for their best option, a living donor. 'God, the universe, whatever, has already decided whether I'm getting a kidney or not, and if this is how I'm going out, I am going to shout it from the rooftops. I'm going kicking and screaming,' Pappas said. 'Maybe that's another reason I'm still here, is because I will talk about this to whoever will listen, to bring awareness to the situation,' Pappas continued. 'It's not (just) me. There's so many people and everybody is worth a chance to live their lives with a new kidney.' Experts have been sounding the alarm for years on the severe shortage of kidneys available to transplant, with about 90,000 patients across the country waiting for one. There are lengthy waiting lists for deceased donors at area hospitals, from about 310 people at Rush to 800 at Northwestern, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. The other type of kidney transplant is a living donor transplant, which is from someone who has two healthy kidneys, and donates one to a person in need. While these donations are less common, Dr. Raquel Garcia-Roca, an abdominal transplant surgeon at Loyola University, said they are 'far better quality.' There's more time to learn about the anatomy of the kidney and the donor, including risk factors that may impact kidney function, such as age or diabetes, she said. The kidney also stays outside the body for less time due to advanced planning. 'You don't have to even know the individual that wants to keep your kidney so it's important to be out there and express the need,' Garcia-Roca said. 'Not doing anything is worse than actually trying.' This isn't Pappas' first go-around with a kidney donation. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before her senior year of high school, and received a dual kidney and pancreas transplant from a deceased donor about seven years ago. Afterward, she said, she adopted a mindset of 'earning her organs.' 'It's like: OK, I'm still here, I'm still here,' she said. 'What are you gonna do with it?' For some of Pappas' students, she's more than exceeded this goal. Summer Parker-Hall had Pappas as her fifth grade teacher at St. Helen Catholic School in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Parker-Hall, now 22, said she was a talkative, easily distracted student, but that Pappas helped change her mindset and improve her schoolwork. Parker-Hall remembers Pappas gifting her a cross necklace when she was her confirmation sponsor. Parker-Hall said she lost the necklace after gym class and was scared to tell her teacher. But when she mustered up the courage, Pappas gave her a hug and later bought her a new one. The two grew even closer while Parker-Hall attended Cornell University, she added. 'If I'm going through anything or just need someone to talk to, or just a simple text — I love you, I'm thinking of you, have a great day — it just means so much, especially being so far from home,' she said. Pappas was also Aaron Trinidad's teacher at St. Helen, and later became his godmother. She helped him bump up his grades, 'completely changing my life,' and when he was an adult took him to his first drag show. 'I felt really loved, understood, I felt seen and really comfortable with her,' Trinidad said. 'It showed me how much she supported me and who I was, especially me being a queer person and coming out at Catholic school. It was everything I needed.' At the beginning of last year, Pappas said her kidney function rapidly declined yet again, a 'heartbreaking' development. Her best chance at survival, Pappas recalled her doctors telling her, is getting a kidney from a living donor. Some doctors have recommended she stop teaching while spending hours on dialysis every night, a treatment that's 'very hard on (her) body,' but Pappas knows she'd be depressed staying home all the time. Dialysis filters waste and excess fluid from the blood. 'Two nights ago, I had 29 alarms go off,' Pappas recounted. 'How do you sleep? You don't. You get up the next morning and crawl to Starbucks … but the second the buses come up (at school), it's like a switch in my brain.' At school, Pappas teaches about five classes a day, and even adopted uplifting affirmations into her curriculum. At the beginning and end of class, students recite, 'I'm stronger than I think, I'm braver than I see, I'm stronger than I feel and I can do hard things.' This spring, she helped out with the school's production of 'The Lion King' before coming home and hooking up to the dialysis machine around 6 p.m. 'I have no regular life. There's no regular life anymore,' she said. 'I don't really have time to, like, go shopping or do laundry.' Dana Nikoloulis, Pappas' aunt, is just one of her family members who've stepped up to try to find Pappas a kidney, from helping organize fundraisers to running marketing campaigns. Nikoloulis said it's difficult to watch someone she loves, who enjoys ballet and watching the Rockettes as much as she does, struggle so much. 'I know that there's so much more she has to give,' Nikoloulis said. 'She's meant to have this transplant and live a long, fruitful life and inspire others.' Anyone interested in donating a kidney to Pappas can fill out a kidney donor questionnaire through Northwestern Medicine and enter her name when asked. With prospective living donors, Garcia-Roca, the surgeon from Loyola, said programs operate under the principle of 'do no harm,' meaning they wouldn't take a kidney to benefit someone else if they believe it could harm the donor. Donors go through a fairly in-depth process to evaluate their health and support systems, everything from tissue typing to checking that they have family or friends for emotional support, Garcia-Roca said. At Loyola, about 20% of people who express interest ultimately donate the kidney, she said. 'A good donor is an individual that has normal kidney function, it doesn't really matter the age,' she said. 'That has a renal function that we know when we remove one of the kidneys the other kidney will gain enough function to sustain long-term the kidney function overall.' Christine Hernandez, a 50-year-old former Northwestern nurse and Galewood mother to four, has been searching for years for a donor. She decided to get a kidney biopsy in 2016 because her brothers had kidney disease, and learned that she had lost 60% of her kidney function. She was also diagnosed with the rare MUC1 kidney disease, an inherited condition that causes her kidneys to shrivel up. Within about four years, or what felt like 'a blink of an eye,' she had to go on dialysis. She spends her free time supporting other kidney patients through various organizations, and is known as a 'very special person' and 'very appreciative' by one advocate. 'Everything I had planned for my future, the trips I wanted to take my daughter on, everything stopped. Everything stopped,' Hernandez said. 'Right now I'm a prisoner of my own body.' Hernandez has waited on the transplant for six years, but said her doctor believes a living donor is likely the best option because she has rare antibodies. Potential donors for Hernandez can call UI Health Chicago's transplant coordinator Anita Pakrasi at 312-355-9820. Sometimes Hernandez feels like breaking down and stopping dialysis, especially after she started having 'nightmare' allergic reactions to the treatment. Her face turns red and hives cover her body. But her mom and kids convinced her to keep fighting and holding out hope that her kidney is coming soon. 'My doctor says there's a needle in a haystack and your donor is here in the U.S.,' she said. 'Somewhere.'
