SUPPORT HR 4616 & S 2584 THE LIVING DONOR PROTECTION ACT

SUPPORT THE LIVING DONOR ACT!

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/support-hr-4616-s-2584-the-living-donor-protection-act

Please help advance new bipartisan legislation that would eliminate barriers to living donation and help increase access to lifesaving transplants. barriers to living donation and help increase access to lifesaving transplants.

• Kidney health providers and patients commend Congress for today’s introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act of 2016 and urge its swift passage to help the more than 100,000 Americans currently waiting for a kidney transplant.

• THE NEW LEGISLATION COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE MEDICARE BETWEEN $565 MILLION AND $1.2 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS.

Every 14 minutes a patient is added to the kidney waitlist and 12 Americans die every day waiting for a kidney transplant

Newswise — Washington, DC (February 25, 2016) — The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is one of 16 kidney patient and health professional organizations joining together to commend Congress for introducing new bipartisan legislation to increase access to lifesaving kidney transplants.

“ASN commends Rep. Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Burgess (R-TX), Sen. Kirk (R-IL), and Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) for their leadership in introducing the Living Donor Protection Act of 2015. More than 20 million Americans have kidney disease, and transplantation is the optimal therapy for most patients whose kidneys fail,” said ASN President Raymond C. Harris, MD, FASN. “ASN is proud to endorse this important legislation, which will help eliminate barriers and increase access to transplantation.”

The bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act of 2016 introduced in both houses of Congress today would help increase access to kidney transplants by:
• Protecting Donors: The bill prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying or limiting coverage or from charging higher premiums to living organ donors
• Securing Jobs: The legislation clarifies that living organ donors can use FMLA time to recover from donation surgery and maintain their job security
• Educating Americans: The bill directs HHS to educate Americans about living organ donation

“More than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant,” said ASN Secretary-Treasurer and Public Policy Board Chair John R. Sedor, MD, FASN. “Congress can help them by enacting commonsense legislation that promotes organ donations by ensuring insurance coverage and job security for donors.”

Many patients will die waiting for a kidney transplant. In 2014, 101,168 patients were on the waiting list for a kidney but only 17,106 transplants were performed. Transplantation is the optimal therapy for most people with kidney failure, and on average is a more cost effective treatment compared to hemodialysis.

If the Living Donor Act increases donation by 536 donors (10% of the number of living donor transplants in 2014) every year for 10 years, the Medicare program could save between $565 million and $1.2 billion.

16 kidney health organizations urged Congress to support this legislation during the 2015 Kidney Community Advocacy Day. Their efforts helped garner Senate sponsorship for the bill and propel the vital legislation’s introduction in both houses of Congress.

To learn more about the Living Donor Act of 2015, please visit https://www.asn-online.org/policy/ and follow #LivingDonorAct on Twitter.

Kidney Health Organizations Advancing the Living Donor Act of 2016
• Alport Syndrome Foundation
• American Association of Kidney Patients
• American Kidney Fund
• American Nephrology Nurses Association
• American Society of Nephrology
• American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
• American Society of Transplant Surgeons
• American Society of Transplantation
• Home Dialyzors United
• IGA Nephropathy Foundation of America
• National Kidney Foundation
• National Renal Administrators Association
• NephCure Kidney International
• Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation
• Polycycstic Kidney Disease Foundation
• Society for Transplant Social Workers

**EXPERT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT**
ASN Secretary-Treasurer John R. Sedor, MD, FASN is available to discuss the Living Donor Protection Act of 2016. Please contact Kurtis Pivert at 202-699-0238 or kpivert@asn-online.org to arrange interviews.

EMMETT'S FIGHT WITH KIDNEY DISEASE

Here's the article in the Toronto sun!! Thank you Toronto sun for sharing our story!

TANNER'S JOURNEY WITH KIDNEY DISEASE

Tanner is a 20 year old young man born with 1 kidney. Dec 2012 Tanner lost his kidney causing him to lose his legs. Feb 2015 Tanner received mom's kidney!!

Long Description

Tanner's first surgery was at the young age of 2weeks. He had 2 more surgeries when he was 2 years old. This takes us to 3 y...ears ago when he had surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. From that moment Tanner had to start cathing due to his bladder had given out. He also had a stent placed that was changed every 3 months. This is because his ureter wasn't contracting anymore. This brings us to December 23rd 2012.
On December 23rd Tanner was thrown from a horse causing his only kidney to burst. He was rushed into surgery to remove the bleeding kidney. During this time his aorta had tore causing him to lose blood flow to his legs. They tried opening his legs to allow the muscles to have room to expand. This was unsuccessful causing doctors to have to amputate both legs above the knees. During Tanner's 13 days in ICU he under went 9 surgeries.

TEAM DEX

Dexter Henry McDade was born June 19,2012 to Jerred and Alexis McDade, and two sisters Gracie and Jadyn. At two weeks old he... was admitted to Arkansas Children's hospital, and after many tests was found out he was in kidney failure. He began dialysis just a few days later. In October of 2012, during a routine ultrasound, a Wilms tumor was found on his right kidney. He had both kidneys removed and went through 5 months of chemotherapy. He is currently cancer free! Just working on growing big and strong for a kidney transplant hopefully some time next year!


Please keep Dexter and his family lifted up in prayer. We believe that God has big plans for Dex. See More

Website

http://Www.gofundme.com/teamdex

FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/BabyDextersPrayerWarriors/?ref=ts&fref=ts

CHILDREN WITH KIDNEY DISEASE;https://www.facebook.com/Children-With-Kidney-Disease-1648529632093135/?ref=tn_tnmn

LEVI'S KIDNEY TEAM

Levi was born 11.14.2011 with End Stage Renal Disease. This means that his entire renal system (bladder, kidney, ureter and ...urethra) don't work together like they should. He also has just one kidney, and it has hydronephrosis, the swelling of the kidney due to urine backup. It also operates with stage 4 Vesicoureteric reflux, this is the back flow of urine from the bladder back up to the kidney. Because of all of this Levi takes a bunch of medicines each day and requires a lot of doctors visits, a feeding tube, blood work, and surgeries. Eventually, he will have to have a (couple) of kidney transplants in order to survive into adulthood.

We believe that you are all part of the team that is making our journey to a new, healthier kidney possible. There will be no way that we can ever repay you, and ever thank you enough. We also believe that God has placed Levi here to help other people through their hard times, and to teach us how to best support other parents of kids with chronic illnesses. THANK YOU for supporting Levi and our family! See More

Website

http://carsonedition.blogspot.com

FIND A KIDNEY FOR ANGELA COTTON

Dear Donor:

 I’m looking for you. Time is fleeting and I sometimes don’t know what to do. Years ago I was told that I had chronic kidney disease. Nothing since then has been easy. Nothing since then has been predictable in my life. I have gone from a working mother to a dialysis patient who has no energy left for work. Here I am 57 years old fighting and fighting to survive and raise my children and it’s excruciatingly painful when I think about my son waking up in the middle of the night to check on me because he saw me return from dialysis tired not feeling well. He gets up from his bed to come check on me when all I ever wanted was for him to peaceful rest and dream of his future like young people his age. I tell him, I’m okay, but he knows I’m not. This disease breaks you down. I have had to lean on my mom for help. She has been my rock. As I became less able to earn a living my mom took yet another job in order to help me and my children. She is The Best mother in the world. My mom does what needs to be done. I see the moves she makes. I agonize over how much pressure she is having to bare because of her love for us. Day after day I fight harder and harder. I am my mother’s daughter! There is no way I intend to just roll over without reaching deep within myself and fighting to stay alive. People in my condition often begin thinking about their regrets and remembering good times and to some degree I am doing that, but mostly, I’m dreaming about the future. There are so many things I want to be alive to see and do especially with my children and my mom. My community is important too and I want to make a positive impact on it. For this to happen I have to receive a kidney transplant. It’s something I’ve always known must be because once the kidney stops working it cannot be rejuvenated. My problem was that I didn’t know how to search for a donor until now. Here is my Find A Kidney Donor campaign which I hope will reach not just your eyeballs, but your heart because I need your help.

 Recently I was asked what I would say to my donor. Many thoughts poured into my mind from simple expressions of gratitude to deep expressions of eternal gratefulness. What ultimately emerged is that I would say that for as long as I live I will cherish the gift of life given to me; I will do my best to care for that gift; every day that I wake up their generosity will be on my mind and I will live a life worthy of it. If I could share one thing with my donor I would share the evidence which has emerged showing that human beings can live their full lifespan with one healthy kidney. It would show them that they can help me without losing their life. It is possible to be a life saver and I really need you now. Please help me.

 My blood type is B+ and I am listed at Northwestern Hospital in Illinois.

 Very Sincerely Yours,

 Angela