Tell Us Your Story – Northwest Kidney Centers – Patient stories, Dialysis centers

Gabriela Romero
Even while on dialysis, I worked several jobs...
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Gabriela Romero's story

I was on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers Mount Rainier for seven years before I received a kidney transplant in July 2009. I finished my General Equivalency Diploma from Green River Community College in June, and I plan to transfer to the University of Washington to pursue a teaching degree in Spanish. I’m originally from Mexico, where I worked as an accountant. Even while on dialysis, I worked several jobs – as a hotel housekeeper, a restaurant cashier, and as a car radio technician. I truly appreciate the care I have received from Northwest Kidney Centers. I have wonderful medical attention and I am thankful to everybody – the nurses – everybody.

Sally Kirkman
Thankful for all the training and support...
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Sally Kirkman's story

I haven’t worked with Northwest Kidney Centers for many years, but in the mid-1980s, when my husband was undergoing dialysis while waiting for his transplant, the training and support given to us was amazing. You were a source of security at a time when we were surrounded by apprehension. After a successful transplant in 1985, Jim had almost 20 years without needing dialysis. Although we were no longer in contact with the organization, we never forgot about your wonderful work. Jim’s transplanted kidney was still going strong when I lost him to leukemia in 2004. I know it would have been much sooner if not for Northwest Kidney Centers and Jim’s wonderful doctors. You will always be one of the three charities I hold close to my heart. While what I donate may be less than I’d like, it is sent with large amounts of appreciation.

Nancy Spaeth
One of Dr. Scribner’s early patients…
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Nancy Spaeth's story

I had just started 7th grade in September 1959 when brushing my thick wavy blonde hair became difficult. My urine became brown. The diagnosis was that I had Bright’s Disease, and it was harming my kidneys. In 1965, I went off to college at the University of Arizona in Tucson, but by February 1966, I had become too sick to stay in school. I returned home and continued college at the University of Washington, and then transferred to Seattle University, which was just three blocks from the Kidney Center. I also began my interviews with the Admissions and Policy Committee at the Seattle Artificial Kidney Center (which later changed its name to Northwest Kidney Centers). Because this was the first out-of-hospital dialysis center in the world, they only had about two dozen beds. So, the committee looked for people who could recover and go on to work or be contributing members of society. Those chosen also had to have insurance or the money to pay for dialysis. At the time, my sister-in-law reminded me that I might not be chosen, but I was 18 and the implication of death never really occurred to me. I was lucky enough to be chosen, and I got a Scribner shunt to start dialysis. While on dialysis, I often volunteered for research studies, thinking that anything the doctors learned would benefit me as well as others. I was planning for the future, my future. Since that time, I have received four transplants – the last one still healthy after 12 years! In between I have experience just about every type of dialysis treatment, from in-center, to home hemo, to peritoneal dialysis. The care I got has given me the chance to have a career first as a school teacher and then as a nurse. I enjoy educating patients and renal professionals about the history of dialysis and rehabilitation for dialysis patients. More importantly, I have been able to be a mother to my children, born during my first transplant, and I am quite amazed and feel blessed to have lived to hold my grandchildren. All I ever wanted was a normal, decent life with children and the opportunity to give back to society at least as much as I have been given. I continue to strive toward that end.

Mary C Otterness
Hoping to resume bike riding this coming summer…
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Mary C Otterness's story

A "medical accident" caused my slowly deteriorating kidney insufficiency over a period of years. I took a prescribed drug over many years that ended up scarring my kidneys, even though I had routine blood tests to determine the level of the drug in my blood. My dialysis started in March 2011 at Virgina Mason Hospital in Seattle. I am fortunate in that I live by myself and am relatively independent. Someone comes during the week to do my laundry and take me to the store, and helps with house work. I take my dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers Auburn branch and am impressed with the caring and quality of care there. I hope to be able to resume riding my Catrike recumbent tadpole bike (three-wheels down low) this coming summer for short rides. This is a goal.

Angela Suffia
The power of one ninth grader...
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Angela Suffia's story

Northwest Kidney Centers really helped my family when my father learned he had kidney disease a couple of years ago. He went in for a routine blood draw after having swollen ankles and muscle cramps, and found out that his kidneys were failing. He was on PD at home before he received a transplant on Aug. 8, 2011. I’m a ninth grader at Frontier Junior High in Graham. When I had to do a project at school this year on the “Power of One” I chose to do a kidney walk. Some of my friends and I raised $110 for Northwest Kidney Centers. Most people I know don’t know about kidney disease. Our family wasn’t aware of it until it struck my father. It’s just so prevalent and we don’t think there’s enough done. It’s an expensive disease, and it was devastating to our family. My father is doing really well after receiving a kidney from my aunt. He hikes three to five miles two to three times a week and hopes to return to work in a few months.

Dennis Schnabel
My kidneys were damaged when I came down with scarlet fever...
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Dennis Schnabel's story

My kidneys were damaged when I came down with scarlet fever at the age of 7; however, the damage was not discovered until I was 21. In 1982, when I was 32, I had my first transplant from my sister. Unfortunately, the kidney started to reject after one year. I had a second transplant in 1984 from a brother. Because of the previous rejection, the doctors wanted me to use Cyclosporine, even though it was still an experimental drug. They were not sure about initial dosages, so they started way too high and put the new kidney into shock. It took over two weeks to gradually bring the dosage down until the kidney finally started to work. As a result, the kidney had been damaged. The Creatinine level never got below 1.7 and slowly started to trend upwards. Even with this, the kidney lasted for the next 23 years until I needed to go on dialysis in 2007. To complicate matters further, I successfully fought colon cancer in 1995. I had a partial resection of my colon followed by 6 months of chemotherapy. In 2007 I started with in-center dialysis. Six months later my wife and I were trained for home dialysis. We did home dialysis until 2009 when my wife, who is an RN, had to go back to work. I was very lucky to receive a third transplant in February of 2010. My wife now works for Northwest Kidney Centers as an RN for the Home Dialysis unit.

Charlie Spaeth
Has donating a kidney affected my health? Well...
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Charlie Spaeth's story

My sister Nancy is 64. When she was 12 years old her kidneys began to fail. For the next six years I watched as medications, needles, blood tests, doctors, hospitals, and finally kidney failure consumed her life. Dialysis kept her alive, but not much more. So she asked our mother to float the idea of a kidney donation by members of our immediate family. It was a no-brainer. I went in for all the tests, was a good match, and we did it. Has donating a kidney affected my health? Well, I’m 61 and after forty years I can honestly say I’ve never missed that kidney. I’ve lived an extremely full and healthy life, wooing and marrying my wife, having children, climbing mountains, and for many years, running marathons. Which I would still be doing if my knees would be more cooperative. Would I do it again? Yes I would—in a heartbeat. Since I was wheeled into the recovery room until this very moment I have always known I made the right decision. Someone once asked if I would have donated a kidney had it been to someone outside of my family, even someone I didn’t know. That’s hard to say because I wouldn’t have been aware of the demand for kidneys from living donors if not for my sister’s illness. But I can say this: Twenty years later I registered with the Puget Sound Blood Bank to donate bone marrow. One day the phone rang and off to the hospital I went. The recipient, battling cancer, was a stranger whose identity and medical outcome I never learned. If anything, I’d have to say I felt better about being a marrow donor because I was older and more fully understood what I was doing. It doesn’t matter whether you know the person. It just doesn’t. A life is a life. I would not hesitate to donate a kidney to someone I didn’t know. Unfortunately for me, however, I’m all out of spares.

Larry Wall
Keeping a positive attitude with dialysis...
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Larry Wall's story

My name is Larry Wall and the photo is of my wife, Kathleen Russell. We have both been going to the Lake City location of Northwest Kidney Centers since 2005 (she as the patient and me as her support). I’d like to share with you her story and mine as well. First, we both want to acknowledge and thank the many donors for their financial help that goes to Northwest Kidney Centers. You are the unsung heroes and we appreciate it. Second, to make dialysis easier, we have found that a positive attitude makes all the difference, and, you might say, we actually have a fair amount of fun when we go. Here’s how we do it: Kathleen has dialysis two times a week for three hours each time. She watches her diet, takes all her pills when she is supposed to, and is very knowledgeable about reading her labs. She and I both like the staff very much--it helps so much to have such friendly and fun-loving people around. Our routine is watching Judge Marilyn on TV for the first hour, followed by a little lunch. After that, we watch a movie on our portable DVD player and then go home. Basically, it’s just the same thing as going on a date to a matinee at a movie theater. The only thing difference is our popcorn is not buttered and is salt-free.

Damon Brown
Using Facebook to find a new kidney...
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Seattle man knows firsthand the lifesaving power of Facebook

Damon Brown's story

Today I can finally report that I am brand new, renovated and updated. It's been four months and four days since I received a new kidney. For me, it was a public search because I found my donor after launching a search on Facebook. Many people throughout the world learned about me when the story went viral. My second transplant happened on Jan. 3, 2012. Recovery wasn't easy and I had many ups and downs. But now things are looking good and I'm back at work feeling strong. My story with kidney disease began about 11 years ago when I first learned that my kidneys were failing and that I’d need dialysis from Northwest Kidney Centers. At that time I figured advances in research would help me; after all, I was 26 and otherwise healthy. I thought I had technology on my side, that within 10 years they’d have artificial kidneys and I’d be okay at some point. Unfortunately, although research has advanced, it hasn’t advanced fast enough for me. The kidney I received from my father years ago failed last year and I learned I'd need another transplant. While research hasn't advanced that much, technology has. Technology, via Facebook, helped me find a kidney. After posting my search for a kidney on Facebook, several people stepped forward. A perfect match came from a friend of my wife’s, who graciously and generously donated her kidney to me! Now that I have my new kidney, I have the energy to keep up with my wife and two young boys!

Dan Ortner
A rare disease led to kidney failure...
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World Kidney Day: CH twins continue lifelong battle

Dan Ortner's story

I was diagnosed, and my twin brother was diagnosed, with kidney failure in the fall of 2005. My brother and I both have had high blood pressure. We were both going in regularly to check on it. We’re not overweight, and we’ve never really known what the cause is. Then we were diagnosed with renal failure. We’re identical, but unfortunately, of course, we can’t give each other a kidney. That’d be the ideal. My brother and I both are legally blind from Retinitis pigmentosa, a retinal disease. Ours has been stable our whole life, but there is a syndrome related to it that can cause renal failure. I was 49 when I was diagnosed with the disease, and my vision has gotten worse since renal failure. My brother went on dialysis in November of 2006. He started six months before I did. In May of 2007, I went on dialysis at the Seattle Kidney Center at 15th and Cherry. My brother got a kidney in October 2010. He’s doing really well with the new kidney. He’s almost back to normal. I had to have a stent put in last March. I had to be put on blood thinner, so I was placed on the non-active transplant registry, and I have to stay on it for a year. So I can go back on in March. *Photo courtesy of The Capitol Hill Times

Dave Ortner
High energy after a kidney transplant...
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World Kidney Day: CH twins continue lifelong battle

Dave Ortner's story

I’m feeling very good since I had my transplant. I haven’t had any complications. When I was on dialysis, I used to feel a lot of nausea off and on and fatigue, and that went away after the transplant. I was also on a restricted diet. Often, I would go off that diet and would feel short of breath. Now I can eat anything I want – especially pizza, yogurt and ice cream. You can’t have dairy products on dialysis. And I’m very high energy. Usually, I would take a nap after dialysis before going to work. I worked swing shift, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Unfortunately I’ve lost my eyesight pretty much, so I had to stop. But I have got a lot more energy now and I do a lot of walking. I’ve had a lot of good positive experiences with all the caregivers I‘ve had – at Northwest Kidney Centers and at the organ transplant center. All the caregivers are really nice and really helpful. *Photo courtesy of The Capitol Hill Times

Linda Sellers
Most people don’t know we’re having a kidney disease epidemic...
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Linda Sellers's story

I came to work as public relations manager at Northwest Kidney Centers without ever having given much thought to my kidneys or anyone else’s. Many surprises awaited me! First of all I learned that kidneys do a lot more than send wastes out of our bodies. They are crucial to keeping bones strong, blood pressure regular, and red blood cells available. I learned that my eating habits – like those of a lot of people in the U.S. – were a big challenge to kidney health. Now I read labels in the supermarket and eat more fresh foods that haven’t done time in a factory. It’s shocking how much sodium hides in canned and packaged food – not to mention the stuff at a drive-through. It’s a surprise to me – and a professional challenge – to realize that most people don’t know we’re having a kidney disease epidemic. Shouldn’t we be doing more to stop a disease that is stalking 1 in 7 adult Americans? Especially when diabetes and blood pressure are major culprits in stealing kidney function, and we have it in our power to manage those conditions to a great extent. Like many people, I was surprised to hear that sustained kidney dialysis was developed here in Seattle, recently enough that the early patients are still here to spur us on to keep delivering high-quality treatments, spreading health messages and doing our part to support research. It’s an honor to work in the world’s first dialysis organization.

Carl Swenson
How a freezer company got involved with early dialysis machines...
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Carl Swenson's story

During the 1960s, before dialysis was widely available, I worked as executive vice president for Sweden Freezer Manufacturing Company in Seattle. During the time, Dr. Belding Scribner, of the UW Medicine School, built a prototype of a dialysis machine in his lab. He also developed a shunt that made it possible for people to receive dialysis over time, without having to have surgery each time they dialyzed. Scribner and the UW team needed more dialysis machines, so they came to my company, which specialized in making soft ice cream and milkshake machines. My job was to figure out how the company would finance the dialysis machines. It worked. We did it under the name Seattle Kidney Supply Co. from 1961 to the early 1970s, until bigger companies took over the market. And then I pretty much forgot about dialysis machines. That is, until a couple of years ago. While on a trip to Japan with my wife I noticed I was getting tired and couldn’t keep up. I had perfect health until then. When I got back to the states I was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a condition that involves the production of an abnormal protein in bone marrow. The protein had deposited in my kidneys, causing them to fail. The only way I could live was to go on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers’ Scribner Kidney Center three times a week! It’s very ironic and I’d forgotten all about my work with early dialysis machines. I’m now 89 and I’m too old for a kidney transplant. But that’s OK. I’m married to dialysis for the rest of my life and it seems to be working.

Pennie Hildreth
An early dialysis pioneer...
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Pennie Hildreth's story

While I was dialyzing for 10 hours in my apartment, I was reading Homer's “The Odyssey” and I was intrigued by the adventures of Odysseus, who was “never at loss”, even though he was greatly challenged by his hardships. ln 1968, at the age of 19, my life instantly changed. I went from being a college student to a fatally ill patient facing serious challenges and then being saved by the Life or Death committee. When I entered Northwest Kidney Centers’ home dialysis program, I and all other pioneer patients were given much care by the individualized training. We had our own nurses, separate rooms and our own technicians to teach us to build the artificial kidneys and maintain the machines. As a kidney patient, I went back to school, but also made time to participate in kidney research at University Hospital, helping in fundraising events for Northwest Kidney Centers and giving support to patients. I graduated from Seattle University in 1971 and three weeks later my sister donated her kidney to me. Within a year, I was teaching for Seattle Public Schools. Four years later, my 14-month-old daughter and I made a TV commercial that was shown on KOMO to promote donor awareness. My first transplant lasted 36 years and in 20O7 I returned to dialysis, until my second transplant in 2008. I am thankful to be alive and my heart is filled with much gratitude to many people, especially Dr. Belding Scribner, who had the great vision and compassion that saved my life.

Parisa Aalami
I joined the Regional Council to give back…
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Parisa Aalami's story

I have been interested in kidney health and becoming a dialysis nurse since my grandmother passed away from Acute Renal Failure. I decided to become a Regional Council volunteer so that I could give back to this amazing nonprofit organization that perfected the art and science of dialysis. It is truly an honor to volunteer at Northwest Kidney Centers, the world's first outpatient dialysis center.

Denise Cobb
Dialyzing the sheep that paved the way for Epogen…
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Denise Cobb's story

I have worked at Northwest Kidney Centers for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen our level of care and sophistication increase dramatically without losing our personal connection with patients. Dr. Scribner started with a simple goal: to enable patients whose kidneys had failed, to continue living their lives. He wanted to transform kidney failure from a death sentence to a mere bump in the road. I have watched this grand vision unfold over many years and in reflection, a memory comes to mind from a simpler time — a time where big hair and bright colors reigned supreme! The decade was the 80s, and Dr. Eschbach was pioneering research in our field. Late one Friday afternoon, a call went out asking if anyone would be willing to work over the weekend dialyzing his sheep. I thought maybe I could help. After all, I had been doing this for almost five years and had worked in our satellite unit helping with our new acute dialysis program. There, we had shuttled dialysis materials across the rough ground in a little red wagon to dialyze patients at Overlake Hospital. Still, I thought to myself, “How on earth would one dialyze a sheep?” Little did I know that this research would pave the way for Epogen. In an age where many put profits before patients, Northwest Kidney Centers has managed to grow in size without sacrificing the qualities that make it great. I have been privileged to work with so many esteemed colleagues and to have played a role in building a system that now brings hope and happiness to over 1,400 patients.

Will Blockson
My brother gave me a second chance at life...
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Will Blockson's story

My name is Will Blockson. On November 14, 2001 my oldest brother gave me a kidney. He gave me a second chance at life. During our month of healing after the transplant, my brother and I shared the same room at our mom’s house healing and having good times together. Ever since I became involved with the Northwest Kidney Centers, my life has moved more towards helping the community and giving back as much as I can since they took care of me and my brother.

John Derrig
Enjoying 28-plus extra years of life...
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John Derrig's story

My last 28-plus years of life, since July 1983, has been made possible by Northwest Kidney Centers. I have been married to my wonderful wife Jean for an additional 27-plus years, now 43 years together. Jean was a stay at home mom until after Leslie entered EWU. She continued her school volunteer activities until taking a part time job at BHS in 1995. She is currently working as a pseudo grandma and takes care of two neighbor children. I have seen my older daughter Kristin grow. She graduated from Bellevue High School (‘90) and the U of W (‘94). She now lives in paradise – Sun Valley, ID and skis 120 days or so a year. She became a homeowner with a condo, acquired a Black Lab (Cooper) and a Ford Explorer. She owns part of “The Cellar,” a restaurant and bar in Ketchum. She also is employed as a bartender at Whiskey Jacques. She is a strong, capable individual. I have seen my younger daughter grow. She graduated from Bellevue High School (‘94) and EWU (‘98). She lives in Bellevue, WA. in half a duplex she purchased. Leslie drives a 2006 Honda Pilot and has not yet acquired a dog. She put in five years as assistant coach for the Seattle University Women’s Volleyball as the team started up again. Leslie is successfully employed at Group One Northwest in Bellevue and plays volley ball for fun on the beach. I worked an additional 16 years at the Boeing Company. Since retirement in mid-1999, I have been involved in remodeling bathrooms, building bathrooms, closets, and a new bedroom. I finished a MAJOR kitchen remodel. (9/05). Skiing has been one of my passions of life and with the extra time I have completed 57 contiguous years of sliding on snow. I am a lucky man!

Asa Danielsson Rottsolk
From Sweden to Northwest Kidney Centers…
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Asa Danielsson Rottsolk's story

It was by chance I ended up working as an aide in a dialysis unit while taking a year off from my studies, trying to figure out what I really wanted to do in life. I ended up finding my passion and a year later went on to get my RN degree. I have been working with dialysis in one capacity or another for my whole professional life, and I have seen many changes both technically but also in the general patient population. As a new grad in nursing, I went straight to work in a newly opened dialysis unit in Stockholm. This was almost 35 years ago, and chronic dialysis was still a treatment with very limited resources in Sweden. It's interesting to know that the person who had been charged with developing chronic dialysis in Stockholm, Professor Jonas Bergström, came to Seattle in 1964 to train with Dr. Schribner, as did many other doctors from around the world. Being a dialysis nurse has taken me to many parts of the world. I have worked in the dialysis equipment industry for close to 15 years, during which time I lived in both Europe and the U.S. Northwest Kidney Centers was a customer I visited at least twice, but little did I know that I one day would be calling Seattle my home and be working there myself. I met my husband in Paris, moved to Seattle in 1995 and, after being a stay-at-home mom for a few years, decided to take up clincial nursing again. After taking the CGFNS Certification (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools), the Washington state nursing license followed by a 6-month RN refresher class to dust off my nursing skills, I only had one employer in mind – Northwest Kidney Centers.

Mary Diggs-Hobson
My son walked his talk by educating others…
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Mary Diggs-Hobson 's story

Our first encounter with the Northwest Kidney Centers was through our oldest son, Reginald who became a dialysis patient in his mid-30s. The diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and whole process of being on dialysis was overwhelming and scary for Reginald and our family. There were life-changing decisions to be made that we weren’t prepared to make. The Northwest Kidney Centers staff, health care professionals and volunteers took us by the hand and became our teachers, guides and care team as we walked the journey together. Our family prayed for treatment that wouldn’t feel like we were diving off a cliff. Northwest Kidney Centers offered peritoneal dialysis, an option that eased us through the emotional and physical transition, while allowing Reginald to maintain a healthy quality of life and independence. Our journey progressed in step with the CKD. There were many early mornings and late nights spent driving Reginald to the nearby Northwest Kidney Centers locations in Kent, Seattle and Burien for hemodialysis. You never realize how comforting a familiar face can be until there is a crisis. Northwest Kidney Centers’ care team was that familiar face providing dialysis during Reginald’s many hospital stays. Reginald was known for his compassion, wisdom and witty sense of humor, which he generously shared with everyone. His knowledge about CKD made him a very capable patient advocate and volunteer for Northwest Kidney Centers. Although Reginald passed away in 2007, he walked his talk by engaging his own organization, AARTH Ministry in supporting Northwest Kidney Centers and educating others.

Maria Koh
Writing one of the first low-salt cookbooks…
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2012 Jefferson Award Winners

Maria Koh's story

Renal patients always remember this uncompromising principle: Halt! No Salt. Halt! No Salt: A Controlled Sodium Cookbook was a first-of-its-kind, low-sodium cookbook that I co-wrote in 1972. Let me tell you a bit of renal patient history. I joined University of Washington Medical Center Hospital in 1960 as a senior therapeutic nutritionist. I became involved with every clinic and specialty department to set up goals and inter-relations with faculty about patient education. In 1972, I collaborated with a mother – who gave her 13 year-old daughter a kidney – on a cookbook, Halt! No Salt. It has detailed, tested recipes with indices to all foods (both raw and processed ingredients) and their nutrient values, including calories, protein, sodium and potassium. I took pride in this effort because in those days there was no Google search engine or nutrient labeling. For many finished products, such as various sauces, we had chemistry labs analyze their contents. The simple cookbook had many printings and revisions, reaching many parts of the country and abroad. TIME magazine even acknowledged it as a useful and dependable tool. We dedicated all book proceeds to Northwest Kidney Centers. As a nutritionist, I advocate this principle: If you follow your low-salt diet, you can delay kidney failure. If you moderate your blood potassium level, you can maintain your heart function. Halt! No Salt gave patients the tools to prepare healthy food and protect their kidney health for longer.

Tom Madsen
I found my donor kidney at the grocery store…
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Tom Madsen's story

My life changed back in 2003. I had just opened a grocery store (Metropolitan Market) and I started to not feel well. I visited my doctor with no relief and my health continued to deteriorate rapidly. On December 22, 2003, my co-workers confronted me with grave concern about my health. They gave me an option to either go the hospital or they were going to call 911. I reluctantly succumbed to their advice and drove myself to UW Medical Center Emergency Room. I had a simple blood test and to my astonishment I was confronted by a team of doctors who informed me that I was in renal failure. They stated that if I would have gone home, I had a good chance of dying from a heart attack. I immediately started dialysis three days a week at Northwest Kidney Centers in Lake City. I can’t express enough the sense of gratitude I have for the nursing staff’s professionalism, caring attitudes and knowledge, they made my life bearable. I am proud and privileged to say that I received a kidney transplant on September 22, 2004 by my hero, Melissa Baker, who I worked with at Metropolitan Market. With her incredible bravery, unselfishness and heroic gesture, I am proud to say that it has been a wonderful healthy seven years and counting. I work full-time, stay active and am honored to volunteer for the Northwest Kidney Centers. Thank you to my family, doctors, Northwest Kidney Centers and, especially, to my angel Melissa Baker.

Yolanda Martinez
Spreading the word about kidney disease...
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Yolanda Martinez's story

My association with Northwest Kidney Centers started over 30 years ago when my late husband was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). He started dialysis in 1981. He volunteered there after his dialysis runs for 13 years, until his death in 1996. At that time the office was staffed by a group of beautiful, caring, ladies. They helped Bill gain self-confidence and self-worth. At that time, I volunteered very little since I was working full time, although, I had many questions about dialysis. In 1999, my sons and my granddaughter were all also diagnosed with PKD, which inspired me to become more involved in the treatment of kidney disease. All the staff were helpful in finding some meaning to all this. Both boys dialyzed for five years, and have since received kidney transplants. My granddaughter is being monitored. To help get the word out about kidney disease and prevention where possible, I joined the Regional Council North in 2000. I volunteer and do outreach at events (both with Northwest Kidney Centers and other medical fairs) because I feel that if I reach at least one person and help minimize their chances of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), I have done my job. Northwest Kidney Centers has changed many lives over the years, and I am proud to be a little part of it.

Marlene McKiness
A dear gift: Buddy, my transplanted kidney...
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Marlene McKiness's story

It was a beautiful Monday morning, April 6, 1987 when I received the greatest gift of all… Buddy, my transplanted kidney! Unfortunately, I’ve never met my donor family, but Buddy was just six years old when we first met. He has allowed me to accomplish my ultimate dream: to live a wonderful life without the need of dialysis. In 2012, Buddy and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary. We have experienced an awesome life journey together. With Buddy there at my right side, I was able to complete my bachelor’s degree in math, met my soul mate with two wonderful step-children and recently became a godmother to a beautiful baby girl. Because of the lifelong experience I’ve endured living with kidney failure, I was able to provide “hands on” excellent health care to my parents who both recently lost their lives due to end-stage renal disease. I was very grateful and so honored to be able to nurture my parents during their last precious moments here on earth. I have been amazingly blessed by God. I cannot answer the question of why. I can only respond by being truly grateful for my second chance at life by assisting others who share the same health struggles as I do – and by living life to its fullest! I can honestly say, “Life is good” because Buddy and I are forever joined at the hip!

Sharon Pahlka
Dialysis has given us life. We are blessed…
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Sharon Pahlka's story

For 38 years I’ve been living with kidney disease – a good thing! In 1973 at age 23, I started hemodialysis, and 19 years later received a life-saving kidney from my brother Vince. Nineteen years on dialysis and 19 years with my transplant is a good thing. I am a survivor. I loved the many years I volunteered for Northwest Kidney Centers. I remember driving the kidney van and going into the schools to show kids the kidney machine, how it worked and share my experiences. One time, a student at the front who had been tipping his chair back, fell over completely when I showed the large needle I put in my arm. He hit his head on a desk behind him, blood flying everywhere. He was fine but taken to emergency for stitches. The next year when I returned to that school all the desks were removed with the kids sitting on the floor, wide-eyed looking for Sharon’s (a.k.a. Frankenstein’s) performance. I smiled. Things have changed over the last 50 years since dialysis started. Everyone can now receive dialysis which was not true in the beginning – there were not enough machines. I fear that new patients have no idea of the changes and sacrifices since those beginning years. Sometimes I wish I could stand on a soapbox and let patients know that we must not take our precious lives for granted and make the most of them. Dialysis has given us life that we would not have had without it. We are blessed.

Peter Phan
Work, school, running, dialysis – I’m a busy guy…
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Peter Phan's story

I’m a pretty busy guy. I work full time as a night supervisor at the CarToys distribution center, am in school working toward a computer engineering degree, and just completed my first marathon! In between, I am on dialysis three days a week. I’ve been on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers for 10 years, since I was a student at Auburn High School. What I’m most proud of now is finishing that marathon. My history with running isn't that extensive. Back in high school while still new to dialysis, I only ran a mile twice a week in the morning for my weightlifting class. After high school I stopped running. But, I used to ride my bike to and from work and dialysis. I didn't have a car at the time and I didn't want to be a burden to my family and have them drive me around, so I biked. Biking home after dialysis in the dark wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but I did what was necessary. I must have biked every day for a year and a half through every crazy weather condition we've had here in the Northwest. But now running is my passion, and I’m so happy to have completed that marathon!

Brian Brugge
An unwelcome birthday surprise: kidney failure…
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Brian Brugge's story

I got an unwelcome surprise on my 13th birthday – E. coli contamination that led to kidney failure. I’m now 23. Initially, I recovered after three months on dialysis at Seattle Children’s Hospital, but then my kidneys began to fail again eight years later. I began dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers and then received a kidney transplant on June 1, 2010. After my kidneys failed, I was awarded a $3,000 Christopher Blagg Rehabilitation Scholarship from Northwest Kidney Centers. The scholarship helped me continue on with my higher education. I had attended Washington State University for nearly two years but had to withdraw after my kidney troubles began to flare up. After my transplant, I recovered well and continued my education at Bellevue College, where I studied environmental science and general classes. Environmental science was always a kind of passion of mine. Much of my interest stemmed from that battle with E. coli. After I recovered, I started to learn more about E. coli 0157:H7, the strain that infected me. E. coli is bacteria that normally live in the intestines of humans and many animals, including cows. Most strains are harmless but some can cause illness in people when ingested. Doctors never determined where my E. coli came from. I am now working at Microsoft as a software tech engineer in the Bing Mobile Device Lab. My friend and donor, Trevor Irish, had been working there for several years and approached me earlier this year about a job opportunity there. I proceeded to look further into it and realized it was a great fit for me. I have been working there since April 2011. My future at Microsoft seems promising, and I plan to continue my education in tech.

Glenda Roberts
New transplant and the Seattle Half Marathon...
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Glenda Roberts's story

At age 21, just out of college, I took what I thought would be a routine physical exam to secure a new job. But the outcome was not routine. The company called me back to say they couldn’t hire me because I had too much protein in my urine. I went to my doctor, who broke the bad news that I had kidney disease. He recommended that I go on dialysis. I didn’t know what dialysis was and as a 21-year-old starting out on my own, I was terrified. So I decided to try other options. I became a staunch vegetarian and began exercising at least five days a week. That helped me stave off dialysis. Things were good for four decades. In 2010 I underwent another routine physical exam and discovered that my potassium level was so dangerously high, I had to go directly to the ER. I was no longer able to control my kidney disease with diet and exercise alone, so I went on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers Totem Lake. Since the in-clinic dialysis interfered with my life and took so much out of me, I got training on how to do nightly dialysis at home while I slept. And I got on the kidney transplant list. In December 2010, I received a transplant! Less than one year later, on Nov. 27, 2011, I finished the Seattle Half Marathon! I couldn’t be happier.

Ruth Sneed
A passion for training home dialysis patients...
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Ruth Sneed's story

In 1973, I was in Seattle applying for RN positions in local hospitals. One day, I happened to notice a small sign over the door located at the backside of Swedish Hospital. It stated simply “Northwest Kidney Center." (There was only one Northwest Kidney Center then, and it was located in the basement of the old Swedish nursing dorm on the corner of James and Columbia in Seattle.) So I went in, filled out an application and ended up with a job offer! I spent a year doing in-center hemodialysis, but then became intrigued with the home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) unit in the back hallway. At the time, the peritoneal department had large machines, large glass containers of PD solution and the patients spent up to 12 hours or longer attached to these machines. I requested a transfer to the home hemodialysis section, where I spent the next 15 years training patients and families. Training was very intense – five days a week for at least three weeks. I really enjoyed the one-to-one relationship I built up with patients and families during my time with them. The Northwest Kidney Center grew to Northwest Kidney Centers with the formation of satellite facilities. This made it easier for patients to travel to for their treatments. In 1989 when Cascade Kidney Center opened in Normandy Park, I transferred there. I again worked as a staff nurse in the center, no longer doing training. After about five years, a position became available in the PD department. This department had changed considerably as patients were now doing their dialysis exchanges manually, and they were mostly free from machines. This allowed them to carry on with daily activities, work, etc. PD is usually considered a "gentler" treatment as a blood access and blood pump is not needed and patients generally do not experience the "highs and lows" of hemodialysis with blood pressure drops and fatigue experienced after a HD treatment. More patients are expressing interest in PD, and the program has increased in size tremendously. I have been proud to have been involved with the growth in peritoneal dialysis and continue to offer support on a per diem basis since my retirement in 2010.

Gary Severson
Taking good care of my transplant since 1971…
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Gary Severson's story

I had a bad cold when I was 17 and I think that might have led to my kidneys failing. I was a student at the University of Washington, studying creative writing, when I found out I had to go on dialysis, which I started in 1968. I dialyzed at my apartment, most of the time without a helper. I’d put myself on and off the machine and looking back, it’s amazing we all didn’t kill ourselves then! I was on dialysis for two years and nine months before I got my transplant on July 8, 1971. I’ve had the kidney ever since. Initially, I was in the hospital for four weeks following the transplant. At first, it wasn’t working. I remember praying, and a few days later, it started working. I’d like to credit my faith for the continued success of my transplant. I visit my worship center in Bellingham two to three times a week. I also write songs to and for the Lord. I remember that the staff and patients of Northwest Kidney Centers were like a family back when I started. There was such a feeling of community. I wrote for Northwest Kidney Centers’ Output patient newsletter from 1977 to 1986.

Patty Wood
Research and clinical trials have saved my life...
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Patty Wood's story

I have been a kidney patient since 1972 - a part of Northwest Kidney Centers for 40 years! In 1979, after seven years as a patient of Dr. Joseph Eschbach, I received a kidney from my brother. After that, I became deeply involved with the Kidney Foundation and was on the Northwest Kidney Centers Board of Trustees. I lectured all over the Puget Sound region at schools, colleges, churches and service clubs. We attended many health fairs and even the Puyallup Fair – my daughter Sarah was my "lil sidekick.” I also became the president of the Kidney Patients Association, which at that time involved almost every patient. We were a connected group of patients and had holiday parties, summer picnics, our own newsletter. We were survivors!! I'd go talk with the researchers at the UW and with Dr. Scribner to keep up on the latest trends. I remember getting early morning calls from Dr. Blagg asking me to rush in to do a television interview with him. After 7 ½ years with my brother’s kidney, I lost it and I became severely anemic. Lucky for me, Dr. Eschbach had begun the Epogen clinical trials. Thanks to Northwest Kidney Centers, there has always been a clinical trial right there for me, right when I've needed it! I had less than a week to live when Dr. Eschbach began giving me Epogen. Within four weeks, I could run up four flights of stairs. It was dramatic. Amgen noticed this, and they flew me to California to tour the original facility and hired me to lecture for them. Soon, I was strong enough to receive my second transplant, and I was off and running. I lectured in other states, then went to Washington D.C. to lead a rally at the National Institutes of Health, then went on over to the capital to talk with congressmen about research. I was deeply honored by Northwest Kidney Centers in 1998 with the Clyde Shields award – it meant so much to me and my family. Northwest Kidney Centers is a big part of our lives. It has been our safety and security. We will always be proud to be a member of the Northwest Kidney Centers family.

Jason and Paul Alexander
Father, son and PKD...
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Jason and Paul Alexander's story

Hi, I’m Jason Alexander. I have been volunteering with Northwest Kidney Centers for two years and am chair of the Regional Council Southeast. I have also been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Knowing what my future holds inspires me to help the community become more aware of good kidney health, and the life-saving services that Northwest Kidney Centers provides. Hi, I’m Paul Alexander, Jason’s dad. I have polycystic kidney disease also. Starting in 1998, I spent 18 months on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers in North Seattle. I received a transplant in late 1999 and have enjoyed the new kidney for over 12 years. It has allowed me to see all of my children get married, and enjoy the birth of five grandchildren. I am thankful that I didn’t miss out on such a blessing!

Dawn Marsh
Dialysis gave me time. A transplant gave me life...
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Dawn Marsh's story

My kidney failure is due to a birth defect yet was not diagnosed until I was 28. The left kidney had little function and a nephrectomy was performed. By late 1985 an eye hemorrhage affected my sight, hypertension returned and the right kidney's function was low. I was pre-dialysis. Dr. Michael Kelly, connected me with professionals at the Northwest Kidney Center (now Haviland). He also told me of the Northwest Kidney Patients' Association. I was soon the secretary and attended the Northwest Kidney Centers' 25th anniversary. A procedure to correct the birth defect failed. Hemodialysis began in 1993 with catheters. Abnormal arms left the veins too small for a graft. An infection, clotting and surgeries followed. Peritoneal failed with lung fluid. Hemo resumed. I was put on the transplant list, top priority was asked for as death was near and another nephrectomy was performed. There were two transplants in three days at Swedish Medical Center when the first kidney never worked and a second kidney arrived. In between I dialyzed at the Northwest Kidney Center. I have had the second transplant since February 9, 1994. Years later, I was asked to become a member of the Regional Council Southwest. I am now honored to be the Chair during the 50th anniversary. Dialysis gave me time. The transplant gave me continued life. The Council gave me the opportunity to further help other kidney patients. What a journey! Thank you, Northwest Kidney Centers. Dawn Marsh, Chair RCSW

Darren Patillo
Able to spend valuable time with my wife and my daughter...
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Darren Patillo's story

My father had kidney failure and his sister gave him a kidney. I inherited the same thing that caused his kidney failure, but unfortunately I don’t have healthy enough siblings to give me a kidney. In 2001, my kidney failure got bad enough that I needed dialysis. I was on dialysis for nine months, and then my wife’s best friend Cynthia gave me one of her kidneys. That lasted two years until it was rejected. So, I went back on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers. I decided to try going on home dialysis because it was hard to run my real estate business while going to the dialysis clinic three times a week. They told me that with home dialysis I would feel much better doing it slower for a longer amount of time, which was so true. I learned how to do home dialysis – every night while I slept. But it took some getting used to. Luckily, there was a nurse at the Snoqualmie Ridge unit who got me over the hump, through my fear of needles, and to the point where I could put my own needles in. Without her, I couldn’t do any of this. But I really needed another kidney transplant. Finally, in November 2009, one week before my birthday, I got a call that a kidney had become available. It wasn’t too soon. I had been getting weaker, and my business was suffering big time. I got my kidney on Nov. 14. But it took me a while to stabilize. A week after surgery, my shoulders became paralyzed and I couldn’t grip anything with my right hand. I was hospitalized five days before my doctor discovered I was having a bad reaction to an anti-rejection drug. Now I’m doing great. Not only do I have more time to practice as a professional realtor and give my clients my utmost attention, but I am also able to spend valuable time with my wife of 11 years and my 5 year old daughter. I couldn't be happier.

Michele Spratley
Northwest Kidney Centers helps me live a normal life…
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Michele Spratley's story

During the day I work with high school students facing special challenges. After school I come home and at night I cleanse my blood through peritoneal dialysis. I thank Northwest Kidney Centers for teaching me how to do this, so I can continue to work and stay active raising my two sons and a daughter. I’m mobile and I stay active with other things. Being at school helps. Seeing the students every day, their issues are so much more intense than my issue. It gets your mind off things and helps my disposition. My outlook is good. I also use Northwest Kidney Centers pharmacy and appreciate the Northwest Kidney Centers dietitians, who make sure I eat enough protein and keep an eye on my vitamin and mineral balances. Actually, the dietitians are like czars with me, which is good! Northwest Kidney Centers has helped me manage my kidney disease and live a normal life. All of the different folks come together and create this helping situation.

Joe Sutton
I’m a dialysis technician at Elliott Bay, where I help train others…
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Joe Sutton's story

I’ve worked in health care pretty much since I graduated from high school. I started dating someone who was studying to become a certified nursing assistant, so I decided to do the same thing. I worked in nursing homes and for Virginia Mason Medical Center in various jobs before coming to Northwest Kidney Centers. Now I’m a dialysis technician at Elliott Bay, where I help train others how to assist patients with dialysis. I train RNs, techs and peritoneal nurses in hemodialysis. They come into the unit, and I show them how to take care of patients and how to monitor them. I’m also going to school to become an RN, with help from a scholarship I received from Northwest Kidney Centers in 2011. One day I may become a nurse practitioner and work with Northwest Kidney Centers doctors – maybe even in transplant nursing.

Janice McGee
There are few who can say they’ve worked 33 years at a place and truly loved it...
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Janice McGee's story

When I started at Northwest Kidney Centers as a file clerk/messenger 33 years ago, I was just a little southern girl from a small town, and I thought I was on top of the world. This journey has ended up taking me many miles beyond my wildest dreams. Back in the day, I remember getting so excited about a kidney being picked up from the airport and taken to the organ donation department. It was then hooked up to the machine just pumping away, until it was time for the transplant. Knowing that someone’s life was getting ready to change, and I was part of this miracle. Knowing that I worked at a place that help saved lives was an inspiration. I remember when the power would go out in the building and ever staff member would have to race to the unit to help out, by using the hand crank to keep the machines going for those patients on dialysis. Keeping them safe, giving them hopes and best of all I knew I was a part of a wonderful experience. There aren’t many people that can say they’ve worked 33 years at a place and loved their job and the people. I can. Northwest Kidney Centers has been my home away from home. Sadly, there is a time that we all must take another step in this journey called life, and the time has come for me to leave Northwest Kidney Centers. I have been truly blessed to be in the presence of so many wonderful, amazing and caring people. I know my years here have not been in vain; I have given back to society and it has been a pleasure knowing so many great people, patients and staff. I will remember this experience for the rest of my life. "Until we meet again my friends, take care."

Fannie Austin
I’m grateful for every day...
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Fannie Austin's story

I’ve been on kidney dialysis for 20 years, but I don’t dwell on it. My philosophy is you change the things you can change. Those things you can’t change, you learn to live with. I couldn’t change my kidney condition, so I learned to live with it. I learned I was at risk for kidney failure when I was 27 and stayed stable for about 13 years by carefully watching my diet, especially reducing sodium by avoiding salty processed foods. But by 1991 my kidneys failed, and I went on dialysis. At the time I was working as a special education with the Seattle School District. I loved working with kids and decided that although it might be hard to continue to teach while on dialysis, I didn’t want to give up my career. So I went back to school to earn my master’s degree in counseling and returned as a guidance counselor in the Seattle School District, where I’ve worked for about a dozen years. I go for dialysis to Northwest Kidney Centers’ Elliott Bay center on Broadway three days a week, but I don’t let decades on dialysis slow me down. I love traveling with my family to various spots throughout the country. Northwest Kidney Centers makes arrangements for me to dialyze at a center where I’m visiting. I’m grateful for every day. My husband reminds me what the doctor told me in 1990: “You’re going to have good and bad days. If this is just a bad day, it will be OK tomorrow.”

Ron Weightman
Thank you from the bottom of my kidney, I mean, heart!
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Ron Weightman's story

I received a kidney transplant in 2007 after undergoing dialysis at Cascade Kidney Center for four years. Waiting for a kidney was a very challenging time, but the staff at Northwest Kidney Centers reached out and made the transitions easier. After I received my new kidney and with help from Northwest Kidney Centers’ scholarship program, I was able to go back to school to begin my life anew. I have been working as a medical coder for over a year now. As opportunities arise, I look forward to working with the kidney community. I think it is helpful to receive information from someone who has already lived the experience and knows exactly what the patient is going through. I wish to inspire people with my own story and give them hope, encouraging them to live a healthier lifestyle in order to have another tomorrow with their family and friends. I truly believe that it’s a miracle what Northwest Kidney and their staff are capable of. The constant research and diligence that they undergo for our care from CKD, during dialysis, and after transplantation, truly inspires and amazes me. Here is to another 50 years of excellence in health care, the imagination of new discoveries, and the vision of pioneers. Happy Anniversary Northwest Kidney Centers. Thank you from the bottom of my kidney, I mean, heart!

Steve Huebner
I’ve worked on the Board of Trustees for 18 years…
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Steve Huebner's story

I’ve worked with Northwest Kidney Centers on the Board of Trustees for 18 years, most recently as president. As a partner in KPMG’s healthcare practice, I became involved with Northwest Kidney Centers because of my interest in the healthcare industry, and I wanted to help them with finance and governance issues. Over the years, as I’ve learned more about how Northwest Kidney Centers helps people with kidney disease, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for what dialysis patients endure and the care the staff provides. As I began to understand the linkage of kidney failure to other chronic diseases related to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, it reinforced the need to educate and serve at-risk populations as well as existing pre-dialysis and dialysis patients. That’s why I and my company have given money to the Northwest Kidney Centers Dialysis Academy to train staff and other care providers. I’ve supported staff training because I believe in the significant commitment and sacrifice that our staff makes personally to the organization.

Arnie Mayer
Because of my transplant, I travel, earned a second degree and coach softball…
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Arnie Mayer's story

I grew up poor on a North Dakota farm with no running water. When I was a young boy, I had little access to medical care and I became ill with strep throat and a kidney infection. I recovered. But when I tried to enlist in the Army at age 17, I was rejected because of my damaged kidneys. One doctor told me, “I had a patient who wasn’t as bad as you, and she only lived three months.” I moved to Minneapolis and enrolled at the University of Minnesota. When my kidneys started failing, I underwent a two-operation procedure in 1972 in which doctors removed my kidneys during the first surgery and transplanted my brother’s kidney during a second surgery three months later. I used one of the two dialysis machines at the university in between the surgeries — they were way down in a dirty little closet in the basement. They banged and clanged and leaked blood. I eventually moved to Seattle to work as an electrical engineer with Boeing. Then, after 20 years, my first transplanted kidney started to fail, and I prepared to go on dialysis with training from Northwest Kidney Centers. But before I began dialysis I received a call that a cadaver kidney was available. I received that transplant on Nov 9, 1996, exactly 24 years to the day from when I received the first transplant. I’ve had a healthy life that I would not have been able to have without a transplant. I am grateful for that life, so I have donated to Northwest Kidney Centers for 15 years. The best organization I can think of is Northwest Kidney Centers. Because of my transplant, I can travel to Europe, earn a second college degree and coach softball teams. If there’s an organization worthy of donations, this is it.

Cindy Black
For vacation, I serve as a dialysis nurse on cruise ships…
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Cindy Black's story

I started working with home dialysis patients at Northwest Kidney Centers after I graduated from high school. I then got my nursing degree, and I have worked as a nurse or nurse manager at Northwest Kidney Centers since 1999. I am now the nurse manager at Lake Washington Kidney Center. In 2011, I received an employee scholarship, and I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at the University of Phoenix. As a registered nurse, I hope my additional education will help me attain more responsibility at Northwest Kidney Centers. As a certified nephrology nurse, one of my favorite things to do is work with dialysis patients while I’m on vacation by serving as a dialysis nurse on cruise ships. I’ve been on 30 cruises all over the world even dialyzing one of our own aboard ship.

Dr. Robert Jaffe
The power of research allows people like me to have hope…
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Dr. Robert Jaffe's story

I was a dialysis patient at Northwest Kidney Centers from 1997 to 2004. I wanted to dialyze at home at night so I could be up during the day when my kids (then two, three, and 13) were around. Eventually I hoped to get a transplant. But I had become sensitized to others’ tissue because I had had a previous transplant that failed. I went on the internet to see who was doing research on people like me and found out that there was a nephrologist at the University of Washington who was looking into this. I connected with Dr. Connie Davis and received a call in May 2004 that the UW had a potential donor. I received a transplant. I really wasn’t a compatible match with the young lady who died, but they centrifuged my blood to get rid of B cells. These cells remember foreign things that they create antibodies to. Getting rid of them tricked my immune system into not noticing. They poured in immunoglobulin so my body wouldn’t remember foreign tissue in me. It’s still working for me! When Northwest Kidney Centers introduced the Kidney Research Institute a few years back, I testified to the power of research to allow people like me to have hope. Ten years ago I would be dialyzing without a chance of a transplant. This is new technology. What I think is remarkable as a kidney patient and as a physician is that there are so many people working so hard trying to figure out how to extend people’s lives and improve the quality of our lives. Kidney failure has this fatalistic title to it, but the game has changed. It’s not end-stage any more.

Wanda Wong
My bond with Northwest Kidney Centers continues to grow…
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Wanda Wong's story

My affiliation with Northwest Kidney Centers sprang from my desire to give back to the medical community for the great care my parents received in their final years. Both my parents lived well into their 90s. When you live that long, you are going to have health issues. At the end, we were in and out of hospitals and saw so many doctors, and everyone we dealt with was awesome. I am grateful for the rich, full lives my parents had, and I changed my charitable focus to medical pursuits. One year, I attended a Northwest Kidney Centers breakfast as a guest, and it felt right. That was nearly a decade ago, and my bond with Northwest Kidney Centers continues to grow. It’s the care that they give their patients that keeps me here. Kidney patients need constant care, and Northwest Kidney Centers delivers excellent care. The organization also needs constant support. They may not be as well-known as some other causes, but they’re vital; Northwest Kidney Centers needs our care. When I look to the future, I am enthusiastic about where Northwest Kidney Centers is headed. With ongoing improvements in patient care, with the pharmacy expansion and so much more, we just need to spread the word in the community.

Dr. Lisa Florence
As a transplant surgeon, I understand the importance of proper care for kidney patients…
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Dr. Lisa Florence's story

As a surgeon who performs kidney transplants, I am acutely aware of the importance that proper care has in a kidney patient’s life. Northwest Kidney Centers provides a very high quality of care for patients with kidney disease and is a valuable resource in the community. I first became aware of Northwest Kidney Centers through my kidney transplant patients who had received dialysis care with them. Over time, I’ve been impressed with how the organization has grown and expanded the services that it provides. For example, Northwest Kidney Centers has a program that provides scholarships to patients to go to school. I don’t think you would see that type of community commitment at a for-profit center. My husband Hank says he appreciates Northwest Kidney Centers’ outreach care for patients without financial means and their ongoing efforts to educate the community about kidney disease. They provide education about diet and nutrition, what things people can do to avoid kidney disease, or manage it better if they do have it. Another key service they provide to the entire Northwest is its pharmacy. Even if a patient gets a new kidney through a transplant, that person needs to take special medications for the rest of their life. The Northwest Kidney Centers pharmacy staff members are specialists in providing for the medication needs of patients with kidney disease and transplants. They are available to answer patient questions and they provide a convenient prescription mail-order program. This is truly a resource for transplant patients.

Ruellene Morganti
I’ve been here from the beginning, and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon…
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Ruellene Morganti's story

I have been with Northwest Kidney Centers from the very beginning, and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. My brother, John, was born in 1947 with a congenital defect to his urethra, the tubes that drain urine from the bladder. Although his condition never required him to have dialysis, he was in and out of doctors’ offices as a young boy, and our parents met many other families facing life-threatening conditions. My parents started donating as soon as the Kidney Foundation (which became Northwest Kidney Centers) was set up. Right from the start, Northwest Kidney Centers was the one charity my parents believed in, and I am trying to carry on their support for it. Recently, John and his doctors developed a routine of exercise and a diet that has helped lower his blood sugar, increased his kidney function numbers, and lowered the chances of adult-onset diabetes. I’m also conscientious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I don’t like sugar and I watch my sodium intake. I try to keep at a healthy level of under 1,500 mg a day. I appreciate that educating patients and families about healthy diets and exercise remains one of Northwest Kidney Centers’ key roles. Today, I am geared toward research. I really appreciate all the information Northwest Kidney Centers shares with its donors. I’ve met so many wonderful people and heard such great stories. It is inspiring.

Paul Soloway
Pam Pruitt, writes of her late husband, Paul, the great tournament bridge player…
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Paul Soloway's story

Pam Pruitt on her late husband, Paul Soloway: I credit the care my husband Paul received at Northwest Kidney Centers with his ability to travel the world and continue to be, according to the New York Times, “the most successful tournament bridge player ever.” Although reluctant at first, Paul agreed to become a peritoneal dialysis patient, something that allowed him not only to dialyze at home – but everywhere in the world when he traveled to compete in tournament bridge. When Paul died in November 2007, I suggested to friends – he had loads of them through his international bridge connections – to remember Paul with a gift to Northwest Kidney Centers. Donors have contributed more than $10,000 to his memorial fund, which is used to help other peritoneal dialysis patients. Peritoneal dialysis gave Paul his health and mobility back. With bridge, nothing was diminished. Paul was even able to play at a world-class level immediately after an exchange. Paul was an ambassador for peritoneal dialysis wherever he traveled. Paul and I were very grateful for the individual care and attention he received. They really take care of you at Northwest Kidney Centers.

Frank Banks
Learning to cook to keep my kidneys healthy…
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Frank Banks's story

Just as it does for many others, food plays a central role in my life. So when it started tasting bad to me a couple summers ago, I asked a doctor what was wrong. I soon learned I had kidney disease. By July, I was on dialysis at Northwest Kidney Centers Scribner. I’m a former computer tech, but now I want to make food an even bigger part of my life. In 2010 I received a rehabilitation scholarship from Northwest Kidney Centers. I plan to use it to study culinary arts at South Seattle Community College – perhaps to cook for others eventually – but initially to cook for myself. I don’t know how to cook, really. If I want to stay in relatively good shape, I should know how to nourish myself and be practical about it. That’s why I thought going to culinary school would be a good decision.