“If you can imagine it and believe it, then you can achieve it.” That’s what more than 400 patients, renal professionals and friends of the kidney community walked away with after attending the American Association of Kidney Patients 34th Annual Convention in St. Louis, MO, making it a huge success! The AAKP Annual Convention is the largest event of its kind, providing attendees with the most current information on kidney disease and treatment options.

Attendees participated in a wide range of educational sessions including: Exploring My Options: Choosing or Changing Therapies; Straight Talk about Living Donation; and The Emotional Rollercoaster of Chronic Illness.

Attendees also had a chance to visit nearly 30 exhibit booths in the Exhibit Hall, participate in fun social events, including the Welcoming Ceremonies, which had a “sports fanatic” theme, Lunch with the Experts sessions and the Annual Banquet and Award Ceremony.

One lucky attendee even won a seven day Caribbean cruise courtesy of Dialysis at Sea Cruises. Dialysis at Sea Cruises is the largest provider of dialysis services aboard cruise ships in the world. Since 1977, they have helped thousands of individuals on dialysis and their families experience the pleasures of cruising and the excitement of taking their dream vacation. The winner of the dream cruise vacation is Shakaur Bolden from Jacksonville, FL.

Celebrity Chef and Extra TV correspondent, Katie Lee Joel, joined AAKP for a second consecutive year at the Annual Convention. Katie teamed up with Shire Pharmaceuticals to conduct a kidney friendly cooking demonstration, which was a big hit. Katie shared family recipes from Shire’s new cookbook, Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods, Volume II.

“I know how difficult managing kidney disease can be, which is why I was so excited to contribute my recipes to Shire’s new edition of the Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods cookbook,” said Katie. “Through this cookbook, I want to show patients that cooking kidney- and diabetes-friendly food is not a sentence to boring food, and that these tasty meals can be enjoyed by the entire family.”

Throughout the weekend, AAKP recognized several individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to AAKP and the kidney community throughout the year. Nominations were received from across the country from both renal professionals and patients.

These individuals have shown a great desire to improve the lives of all kidney patients. Each day they strive to share their knowledge with patients throughout the country, making them informed leaders of their own healthcare.

Winner of the Samuel J. Orenstein Award: Thomas Peters, MD, FACS, FASN.
AAKP honored Thomas Peters, MD, FACS, FASN, with this award for his outstanding service toward the achievement of AAKP’s goals. He displays great leadership within the organization and is always willing to share his wisdom with the AAKP staff, Board of Directors and members of the media. Dr. Peters is a member of the AAKP Board of Directors, the AAKP Medical Advisory Board and the co-medical editor of aakpRENALIFE and Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine.

Winner of the Peter Lundin, MD Award: Richard S. Goldman, MD.
This award honors one of the great AAKP Presidents, who was both a nephrologist and dialysis patient. It recognizes a physician who makes contributions to the care, welfare and wellbeing of kidney patients over the course of his or her career. Dr. Richard Goldman is a world renowned nephrologist, a fearless patient advocate and a leader in the kidney community. Dr. Goldman is a member of the AAKP Board of Directors and the AAKP Medical Advisory Board.

Winner of the Josephine Berman Award: Jess Arceneaux.
This award is presented to an individual who has made a long term commitment to the mission of AAKP. Jess Arceneaux is not only a leader in the AAKP Palm Beach County Chapter, he is also an active member of the AAKP Board of Directors. Jess is a strong advocate of patient education and has organized several fundraisers in his community.

Winner of the Maureen Lundin aakpRENALIFE Award: Stephen Z. Fadem, MD, FACP, FASN.
This award recognizes a patient or healthcare professional who contributes to the official magazine of the Association, aakpRENALIFE. This award, named after one of the magazine’s first editors, places a special emphasis on those talents. Dr. Fadem has made numerous contributions to AAKP’s publications. He is co-medical editor of aakpRENALIFE, Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine and the new At Home with AAKP magazine. Dr. Fadem is Vice President of AAKP Board of Directors and a member of the AAKP Medical Advisory Board. He also serves as the AAKP Life Membership Chairperson.

Winner of the Dominick Gentile Memorial Award: ESRD Network 5, The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition.
Each year, this award is presented to an ESRD Network that has a history of beneficial programs for patients, important informational resources and an avenue to report grievances. ESRD Network 5 has developed the Kidney End of Life Coalition, to promote effective communication between patients, family members, caregivers and providers in support of integrated patient-centered-endof- life care for chronic kidney disease patients. The Network has worked to educate patients and caregivers about end-of-life issues, including a brochure entitled, Advanced Care Planning and a redesigned Web site.

Patient Comeback of the Year Award: Amy Hackney
This award is presented to an individual who displayed leadership and courage while overcoming obstacles associated with kidney disease. Amy Hackney is a kidney transplant recipient and a recent cancer survivor. Amy has spent the last year, sharing her story of survival and encouraging others diagnosed with kidney disease and/or cancer, to continue to fight. Her drive to teach and reach others is an inspiring example of courage.

Winner of the President’s Award: The Durrett Family
The award is given to a person who embodies all of what AAKP stands for: patient advocate, leadership, friend to the kidney community and strength. The President’s Award is chosen by the AAKP President each year. This year the Durrett Family received this prestigious award. Recently, AAKP lost one of its strongest advocates, Ellie Durrett. She was a home hemodialysis patient, President of the AAKP Middle Tennessee Chapter and a member of the AAKP Board of Directors. Ellie was selfless in her work for AAKP and was always the first person to volunteer her services. She was able to do this because of the love and support she received from her family. The Durett family always gave Ellie and other kidney patients joy and strength.

AAKP is pleased to announce the 2008 Annual Convention will be held in Washington, DC, Aug. 28 - Aug.31. The official Annual Convention registration brochure will be available late spring 2008. To be placed on the Convention mailing list, contact AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP or send an email to info@aakp.org. To see more pictures from the 2007 Annual Convention, log onto the AAKP Web site, www.aakp.org.

This article originally appeared in the December 2007 edition of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine.