Eleven years ago, Rex Smith’s kidneys shut down while he was being treated with an antibiotic. Fortunately, his kidneys resumed function not long after, but Rex did not realize that they were not working at full strength. Like many people, he had no symptoms as his kidney function decreased. In 2018, he was shocked when told he was in kidney failure again.
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Kristabelle and her almost-four year old son Zachary have the 2018 and 2019 Kidney Walks at the Detroit Zoo under their belts and are excited for the 2020 Walk, despite it’s being postponed until summer. Back in 2018, we reached out to Kristabelle, a Sterling Heights resident, and she was eager to share Zach’s story. “Thank you for thinking of us,” Kristabelle emailed. “If we can use the opportunity to educate others about chronic kidney disease, its lifelong impacts, and inspire more awareness, we would be happy to help.”
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People with kidney disease often choose to give back to others struggling with the disease. They can become Kidney Peer Mentors, lead Kidney PATH workshops, or volunteer at NKFM events. One of those people is Patricia (Pat) Salemi, a retired professor from Saginaw Valley State University. In 1996, at age 46, Pat contracted bacterial meningitis and fell into a coma for seven weeks. Her kidneys failed and she lost the blood supply to her toes, requiring surgery to remove all of them. She also started dialysis.
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