Curtis Warfield (He/Him/His)

In 2005 I had a kidney biopsy after a routine checkup found protein in my urine. I was given the all clear but warned this could develop into something worst later in time. In 2012 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 CKD disease due to FSGS and by December 2014 I had started peritoneal dialysis.

In June 2015, my daughter went to be tested to be a living donor. During the last stages of the testing it was determined that she would not be the best suitable match. My daughter’s roommate and college sorority sister decided to get tested in October of 2015, “just because” she wanted to help someone. After completing her tests, she was a perfect match and on Jan 8, 2016 I received a new kidney. In May of 2016, my donor graduated with her master’s degree in Public Health.

The importance of advocacy work helps bring more awareness to kidney disease to 1) prevent the disease in those who have a chance not to develop it; 2) educate—bring a battle mentality to those who don’t see any hope; 3) increase awareness of organ donation, especially living donation, to the general public; 4) celebrate those living donor heroes as much as those who have given posthumously and 5) help break down myths about CKD, especially in the African-American community and other communities of color and 6) to be the voice for those who are unable to be their own.

I would like to bring kidney health and awareness more to the forefront and not have CKD treated as a secondary disease. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes then you can get kidney disease, our kidneys should be viewed/valued as important as any other organ.