World Kidney Day raises global awareness about kidney health, encourages early detection, and promotes prevention and treatment of kidney disease worldwide.
Author: Chad
Chad is a writer, kidney‑transplant recipient, and long‑time Type 1 diabetic who tells the truth about chronic illness with honesty, hope, and a little humor. After eighteen months on peritoneal dialysis and a life‑changing transplant from his donor Jeff, he now uses his story to help others feel less alone in theirs. His blog blends lived experience, faith, and practical insight for anyone navigating kidney disease, diabetes, or the long road between diagnosis and healing. When he’s not advocating for organ donation or demystifying the medical maze, he’s cheering on others walking their own hard paths — one real, human moment at a time.
Things I Thought Were Big Deals Before I Needed a Kidney
A look back at the minor frustrations I once treated as some sort of crisis and how kidney failure changed my sense of what truly matters.
Driven to Save Lives (Documentary)
Driven to Save Lives follows the people who step forward to donate an organ and the families whose futures depend on their courage. The film traces the hope, fear, and determination that shape every decision to give someone a second chance.
Things People Say to Kidney Transplant Recipients
A candid, humorous look at the things people say to kidney transplant recipients and the honest thoughts we keep to ourselves. Equal parts truth, comedy, and lived experience.
March is National Kidney Month
Kidney disease is the fastest-growing noncontagious disease in the U.S., yet it remains underrecognized and awareness about its severity is low. Learn more about kidney disease through the voices of those who live with it, and those who are fighting to prevent it.
Confessions of a Good Samaritan (Documentary)
Confessions of a Good Samaritan follows filmmaker Penny Lane as she documents her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger, blending personal storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the science, ethics, and emotional complexity of altruism.
Universal Chronic Kidney Disease Screening?
With the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the rise, is it time to consider universal screening, or continue with a targeted strategy to prioritize high-risk populations?
Combo #2: Peritoneal Dialysis and Diabetes
What happens when one chronic condition becomes two? This is the story of learning to live between insulin pumps and dialysis tubing, between fear and faith, and discovering a resilience I didn’t know I had.
Donating a Kidney: Jesse Eisenberg’s Story
Actor Jesse Eisenberg shares why he chose altruistic kidney donation at NYU Langone, where exceptional outcomes and compassionate care help inspire more people to become living donors.
Sidney’s Yelp Review
A transplanted kidney posts an honest and darkly funny real estate report on its new home, rating everything from the previous tenants to the move‑in chaos, daily amenities, donor heroes, and the ever‑watchful immune system.
Importance of Self-Care Post-Kidney Transplant
A kidney transplant changed my days into a practice of vigilance, gratitude, and self‑care. This is the story of how lab visits, pillboxes, boundaries, and small daily choices became the partnership that keeps my donated kidney safe.
My Experience at the Kidney Dialysis Clinic
A reflection on the people inside a dialysis clinic who carried me through eighteen months of treatment, one conversation, one night, and one act of care at a time.
Kidney transplant recipients and donors meet
One year after a three-way paired kidney transplant, the recipients and donors got the chance to meet for the first time at Banner UMC in Phoenix.
Kidney Disease Doesn’t Discriminate
Kidney disease can affect anyone at any time.
Nebraska Organ Donations in 2025
Last year, Nebraskans set a new record for organ donations.
My Six-Inch Scar
A six‑inch scar tells the story of my kidney transplant; how a donated organ, a living donor’s courage, and months of uncertainty became a path toward healing. This is the story held in that line of skin, the memories it carries, and the life it makes possible.
The Puzzle Pieces Came Together
A kidney transplant journey told through the wisdom of a puzzle coming together piece by piece. From unexpected delays to answered prayers, this story traces how God, family, friends, and medical teams formed a picture far more beautiful than anything imagined.
About Kidney Transplant Care Teams
I was blessed with a care team made up of my parents. Their support made me wonder how other transplant patients walk this road and who stood beside them. I'm gathering comments from a post-transplant Facebook group. What I've found so far reminded me that a kidney transplant is never a one-person story. It rises or falls on the strength of the people who choose to help.
Pre-CKD Foods to Avoid
A look at the foods that strain your kidneys and the small choices that help you care for your body with intention.
Receiving the Gift
A reflection on the courage of receiving. After years of finding joy in giving, I faced the humbling truth of needing a gift I could never earn a kidney from someone I’ve never met. This piece explores grace, surrender, worthiness, and the holiness found in accepting what arrives unasked for, yet perfectly timed.