You Can Make a Difference....  
  

There are few things worse in life than losing a loved one. And there's nothing better than stealing them back from heaven's door.

I hope you will give me a minute of your time because I'm not a fundraiser; I'm the son of a kidney patient. And when I tell you my story I think you'll realize that you too can save lives...

My father was a perfectly healthy man. Then he started experiencing severe headaches. We took him to see a doctor and the doctor said he could not find anything wrong with him. So we took him back home. But my dad started to feel worse; more severe headaches, he couldn't keep any food down, he could barely keep his head up. We took him to see another doctor and that's when we were told his kidneys were failing and he only had three months to live.

                                                      But a Miracle Happened...
 
While visiting my father's doctor's office one day I noticed a newsletter on the coffee table. The newsletter was from the National Association of Patients on Hemodialysis (NAPH). NAPH is the original name of the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP). There was a news item in the paper about a portable dialysis machine. I asked the doctor about it and he told me about a program being started at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. I called over to the hospital to find out more information about the program. The doctor in charge told me my father qualified for the program, but the cost may prevent him from taking part. The machine was $2,000, but the operating cost would be about $12,000 per year. That was a lot of money back then. It's a lot of money now for many people. My parents did not have much money. I had two jobs and my older brother and two younger sisters all contributed to cover the cost. After being on the machine for just one day, my father's health improved drastically. In fact, he wanted to check himself out of the hospital that day.

Just days before, my dad was on death's door. Now he was walking around the hospital trying to get himself home.  And a few days later, he did get to go home. Six months later he received a kidney transplant. I'm not going to say the next 10 years of his life were easy, but he was able to be with my mom, meet his grandchildren, and most importantly live a productive life.

After reading that first AAKP newsletter, I got myself a subscription to receive it monthly. I learned a great deal about kidney disease. I read about the heartaches of so many people losing their loved ones to kidney disease. I read about the efforts of organizations like AAKP fighting to create the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Medicare Program.  Reading those personal stories and learning about the public policy efforts of AAKP gave me and my family hope. We learned that kidney disease doesn't have to be a death sentence. We learned that there were thousands of American families going through the same experiences as we were. Life can be quite difficult at times, but hope is what gives one the strength to carry on. And that was the take away message for me in learning about AAKP.

My dad passed away 10 years after receiving a "three months to live" death sentence. Today, 40 years later, I am still thankful for the extra time doctors at Baptist Hospital and the AAKP gave my family to be with my dad. I volunteered to write this letter because I am one of the luckiest people on earth and I made a commitment to myself to do something everyday to honor my dad.
 
My dying dad was given life.

I am hoping today that you'll join me in sending a gift to the American Association of Kidney Patients, and help other patients and families who are sick and need a little hope. I know my brother, sisters and I were lucky. Many families don't get the chance to spend 10 additional years with a loved one after a kidney disease diagnosis. As a son who almost lost his dad much too early in life, I can tell you that you will be making a wonderful - and very important - gift.

Please, while you have my letter in your hand, click here to make an on-line donation now. By doing so, you are helping another patient live their best life possible.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Abbott
Floyd's Son and AAKP Volunteer

All contributions to the American Association of Kidney Patients are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. The American Association of Kidney Patients has been granted Tax Exempt Status by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.