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INTRODUCTION As the COVID-19 pandemic passes its first year of overtaking the planet and wreaking havoc, sickness, and death upon its inhabitants, there is finally some reassurance. The disease that has caused over 100 million cases is, at least for now, in decline.

In honor of National Kidney Month, AAKP is sharing stories from AAKP Ambassadors on their unique outlook on life and kidney disease awareness. You can help spread the word about kidney disease this month by sharing your personal story with friends, family, and the kidney community.

By Bill Ryan, President and CEO, Transplant Life Foundation Steven Baldridge, RN wrote in a recent online article, “In ancient times the kidneys were viewed as the seat of feelings, conscience, and yearnings and the source of morality and ethical activity.

Written by Brian Hess, AAKP Board Member If someone other than myself, Brian, is reading this out loud to others, it means I am finally Home! First off, my hope and my best guess is that this letter won’t be read in front of people for many more years to come. It’s 2014 as I write this now.

By Jennifer Jones, USMC, AAKP Board Member and Ambassador If you are ending this year with a certain degree of stress, it's okay. There is nothing wrong with you. Calling this year overwhelming would be an understatement. Those of us with chronic kidney disease may be accustomed to uncertainty.

My original diagnosis with stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was years ago, in 2009, where I was left with kidney damage from prescribed Ibuprofen use, an adverse event from another prescribed combination of medications, and the onset of multiple kidney stones.

Payal Shah was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at the age of 15 after her bloodwork revealed her kidneys had failed. She was rushed to the hospital to start dialysis. She was on hemodialysis for 6 months and peritoneal dialysis for another 6 months before receiving her kidney transplant from a living donor.

Leigh-Ann Williams is currently a home hemodialysis patient. She has been on dialysis for five years and has done both in-center and home dialysis. Leigh-Ann was a young college student who was always on the go when she found out she had kidney failure that resulted from Lupus.