With a long family history of diabetes, I’m sad to say that I wasn’t entirely surprised by my personal diagnosis in 2003. When thinking back to that year and everything that followed, the phrase “hindsight is 20/20” comes to mind. Why didn’t I take better care of my body knowing my family has a history of diabetes? How did I let my diabetes get so out of control? READ MORE >>

The KidneyX Innovation Accelerator announced Phase 1 of a new competition to push development of an artificial kidney toward human clinical trials. The goal is to focus on kidney replacements that will give patients options beyond dialysis. READ MORE >>

As a former chief hospital corpsman in the Navy, I didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of care. I was healthy my entire life—never in a million years did I think my kidneys would fail me, leaving my body desperately needing a transplant from a stranger. But these earth-shattering surprises did occur, not only to me, but to my husband as well. READ MORE >>

Amelia, 15, attended The Hope Affair in 2012 as that year's Calendar Kids Art Contest winner. She was inspired by the speeches she heard that night and vowed to fight kidney disease when she got older. Fast forward to 2020—Amelia is now an AKF Ambassador and she'll also be introducing this year's Calendar Kids Art Contest winner at The Hope Affair on Wednesday. READ MORE >>

About 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida each year in the U.S. 26% of them go on to develop kidney damage, and some later progress to kidney failure. Learn more about spina bifida's impact on the kidneys in a guest post from the Spina Bifida Association. READ MORE >>

As some parts of the country are loosening COVID-19 shutdown restrictions, you may be wondering how to stay safe and healthy while also having a connection to the outside world. Katie Pickard, a Satellite Health social worker, shared some reopening advice on our blog. READ MORE >>

Social media can be a great tool for inspiring your friends, family and community throughout your kidney disease journey. We spoke with two AKF Ambassadors about how they use social media and what advice they have for others. READ MORE >>

For the past 17 years, Camp All Stars has been a place where kids with kidney disease can just be kids. The camp was started by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center so that kids who are on dialysis or living with a kidney transplant can have—many for the first time—an overnight camp experience. READ MORE >>

Your renal dietitian can work with you to create a meal plan that you'll want to follow, and sticking to that plan is key to managing your kidney disease or kidney failure. Learn more about this important member of your care team on our blog. READ MORE >>

Americans of color are in the midst of a perfect storm. Not the good kind of perfect, but the terrible, most awful kind of perfect: bad things colliding and combining into something far bigger and far worse than the sum of its parts. READ MORE >>

If you've recently been diagnosed with kidney disease, you should schedule an appointment with a nephrologist. Your nephrologist will help you understand your condition, develop a treatment plan for you and connect you with additional resources. READ MORE >>

AKF Ambassador Patrick Gee had a kidney transplant in 2017. "Three years and a global pandemic later, my life was on the line because of the immunosuppressive medicines I take to stop my body from rejecting my transplanted kidney." Read how he survived COVID-19 on our blog READ MORE >>