It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of A. Peter Lundin, MD. Dr. Lundin was a true inspiration to kidney patients throughout the world. As an exceptional physician and experienced kidney patient, Dr. Lundin had the unique ability to communicate with fellow patients and physicians - bridging the gaps in communication that often take place. In celebrating his life, we offer to you Dr. Lundin's story.

Many of you are probably familiar with the life story of Dr. Lundin, but we believe it is worth repeating as we celebrate his life and accomplishments.  Dr. Lundin's kidneys failed in 1966 while he was studying for his undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University in California.  Fortunately, as the availability of dialysis was very limited at the time, he was accepted into the University of Washington's Remote Home Dialysis Program.  After three months of learning how to dialyze himself, he returned to California with the hopes and expectations of becoming a medical doctor.  He transferred to Stanford University and, while maintaining a full course load, dialyzed himself three times per week for 10 hours at a time.  He dialyzed at night and attended classes during the day.  Dr. Lundin graduated from Stanford and began applying to various medical schools but he was unable to find one willing to accept a dialysis patient as the schools were concerned that an individual couldn't maintain the grueling medical school schedule and dialyze at the same time.

His break came in 1968, when he was accepted to medical school at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York (now SUNY Health Science Center-Brooklyn) and trained under Dr. Eli Friedman.  During medical school, Dr. Lundin dialyzed three times per week for 14 hours at a time, maintained his full medical school schedule and helped start an organization for dialysis patients called the National Association of Patients on Hemodialysis (today called the American Association of Kidney Patients).  He graduated Summa Cum Laude from medical school and after his internship and residency programs in Brooklyn, he completed his fellowship training in Immunology/Nephrology at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and at SUNY-Brooklyn.  Dr. Lundin was the first dialysis patient to complete medical school and the first nephrologist who was also a dialysis patient.

Dr. Lundin led a distinguished career as a nephrologist.  He received more awards, authored more papers and served on more committees than could possibly be listed here.  Through his patient practice and teaching other doctors, he dedicated his life to improving the quality of health and quality of life of all kidney patients.

As a patient, Dr. Lundin was a long-time hemodialysis patient (both home and in-center) and was transplanted for approximately six years in the mid-nineties.  Amazingly, he had the same a/v fistula for over 30 years.

In 1990, Dr. Lundin accepted the position of president of the American Association of Kidney Patients, an organization he had helped found over 20 years earlier.  As president, he focused the organization on quality issues, expanded its patient advocacy and hired its current staff leadership.  Even after his term as president ended, Dr. Lundin continued his efforts on behalf of patients frequently representing AAKP during congressional testimony, national committees and as a mentor to the AAKP staff and board.

In honor of Dr. Lundin and his legacy, AAKP is in the process of producing a Special Edition of aakpRENALIFE that will be a celebration of his life.  It will feature many of the past articles Dr. Lundin wrote on behalf of AAKP as well as comments from his friends, family, colleagues and fellow patients.  The magazine should be available in mid-May.

No one individual did more for kidney patients than Dr. Peter Lundin.  He proved that a kidney patient could lead a normal, productive and even challenging life.  He enjoyed, no a better choice of words would be, celebrated life and we hope sharing his story will inspire you to celebrate life as well.

Thank you.

This article originally appeared in aakpRENALIFE, Vol. 16, No. 5, March 2001

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