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The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the largest independent kidney patient organization in the U.S., believes The Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act (H.R. 4143 / S. 2065) severely restricts patient freedom of choice. CLICK HERE to take action on this important issue. Based on a detailed analysis with our patient and professional allies, we believe this legislation is contrary to the best interests of patients. Instead, it protects the status quo in kidney care at the cost of patient freedom and meaningful innovation.

Happy summer to every AAKP member and family! The AAKP team hopes you are enjoying yourselves this summer – AAKP started ours off with a BANG at our 43rd National Patient Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida where we broke an attendance record, had an overwhelming patient response to our sessions entitled Innovations in Kidney DiseaseCare and Under the U.S. Capitol Dome (with legislative updates from allies from Washington, D.C.) and racked up a series of major partnerships that benefit patients that we will be announcing in the coming months!

Written By: Suzanne Ruff, AAKP Board of Director’s member Sun! Many of us know to protect our skin, but if you’re a kidney transplant recipient, it is especially critical! Dr. Steven F. Wolfe is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and Board Certified with a practice in Mooresville, North Carolina. He received his MD from UC San Francisco and trained at UCLA and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Dr.

Written By: Iya Bekondo-Granatella, AAKP Field Ambassador and Founder of the Iya Foundation Inc. Read on the blog at: http://theiyafoundation.org/aakp2018meeting/ I had the privilege of attending the 43rd Annual National Kidney Patient Meeting hosted by the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) in St. Petersburg, Florida. This event is the largest kidney patient education and advocacy meeting held in the U.S. and brings together patients, caregivers, advocates, healthcare providers and researchers alike. As a newly appointed Field Ambassador of the (AAKP)

Written By: Jim Myers; AAKP Board of Director’s member, Ambassador for the state of Indiana, and contributing editor of AAKP’s Pediatric Kidney Pals e-newsletter I have been asked to write about my motivation for the AAKP Pediatric Kidney Pals Newsletter. It’s a good question. I was not a pediatric patient, diagnosed at the age of 30, however I do love children and have an affinity with them. But that’s not the answer either. I met someone when I first went on dialysis in 2012. She changed my life forever. This is her story. Click here to read.

Happy spring to our AAKP Members and Allies! We are well on our way to our National Patient Meeting in St. Petersburg, FL. By the time many of you read this message, some of you will be reading it at the annual conference! As the nation’s oldest and largest fully-independent and patient-lead organization, it is only natural that AAKP hosts the largest kidney patient meeting in America! AAKP is entering into our 50th Anniversary Year – and the kickoff of that celebration begins at the 2018 Annual Meeting!

Written by: Iya Bekondo, AAKP AmbassadorIt was the year 2000, and I had just relocated to the United States. Word that both of my kidneys had failed was no longer news to me and my family; having suffered from Nephrotic Syndrome since age 7. I had gradually, within a period of 10 years, lost function in my kidneys and at that point was very symptomatic of kidney failure. However, there was talk about testing me for Lupus, an illness which at that time neither I nor my family knew anything about.

Written by: Kent Bressler, AAKP BOD and Ambassador, served in the United States Army What will you be doing on May 28, 2018, Memorial Day? Many will be beginning summer vacations, schools are out, and families are together and free to do as they wish. Some will take the time to bow their heads, pray and quietly remember those men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms that we so proudly enjoy. Others will attend special services in remembrance of those active duty personnel, men and women who died serving this country.

Yay! I can vividly recall how excited I was the time I attended my first conference with the American Association of Kidney Patients during 2010. That year, the conference took place in Tampa, Florida. My social worker submitted my application to the Renal Network, based on what I had done working on the behalf of kidney patients, and I was selected to attend the conference. At this time, I had consistently been on dialysis for eight years. The conference was astounding! Everything was specifically for kidney patients, which I was extremely grateful for.