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Kidney Donors Get Job Security

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Kidney patients who hope to get their much-needed transplant can take a big sigh of relief now that the Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary, Alexander Acosta, clarified language that states organ donors qualify for FMLA time-off work. This means that living kidney donors are included in FMLA’s protections for an eligible employee to take up to 12 workweeks of leave (for the surgery and recovery) while they are unable to perform their job functions, without risk of losing their job.

The TransplantFirst Academy applauds Paul Conway, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor, who also serves as President of American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) and Chair of the Patient Engagement Advisory Committee of the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for his role in achieving this massive victory. This united effort also included top kidney community allies, such as the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the Renal Physicians Association (RPA).

For medically-eligible kidney patients, organ transplants are the best treatment available for kidney failure. Transplants help kidney patients either proactively avoid dialysis altogether by securing a preemptive transplant or by allowing them to transition off of dialysis treatment dependency so they can enjoy a vastly improved quality of life. Currently, in the United States, over 114,000 patients are on the organ donation waiting list and of those, over 95,000 are awaiting a kidney transplant.

FLMA wins like this not only encourage more living organ donations for the tens of thousands of Americans who await a life-saving transplant, it helps gain momentum for passing further protections for organ donors, through the Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 1270).

Learn More about FMLA Opinion Letter here:
https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FMLA/2018/2018_08_28_2A_FMLA.pdf

Learn More About AAKP Efforts Here:
https://aakp.org/press-release/labor-secretary-acosta-earns-patient-praise-organ-donor-job-protections-eve-labor-day-weekend/

Learn More about Living Donor Protection Act here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1270

Proactive Patient Engagement Leads To Better Outcomes

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New data reveals a lack of proactive patient engagement can lead kidney disease patients down a troubling path. While dialysis patients are promised more days of life, three of those days (every week) are spent tethered to a dialysis machine.

To make matters worse, the days in between treatments are filled with nausea, fatigue and lingering distress. Sadly, the decision to start dialysis often occurs in the 11th hour, with little if any proactive engagement. More often than not, end stage kidney disease patients have no idea what they’re getting into — or how they could have bypassed dialysis if they were transplant eligible and took a more proactive approach.

This is not a matter of accepting or rejecting dialysis. It’s a matter of fighting for the best life possible through proactive self-advocacy. It’s about slowing disease progression, managing symptoms and making lifestyle changes that preserve remaining kidney function. It’s about requesting an early evaluation and getting approved for a transplant before numbers get into the redzone (before GFR10). It’s about sharing one’s story and increasing awareness in our nation’s organ shortage and the need for more living kidney donors.

Did I get your attention? Is it time to become your own best advocate and secure a better future? Whether you’re hoping to avoid dialysis or get off dialysis by securing a living kidney donor transplant, learn how to use your voice and become a Donor Magnet Wizard today! Learn more here: www.findingkidneydonors.com

5 Ways To Help Someone With Kidney Disease

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Did you know 31 million people in the US have kidney disease? Do you happen to know one of them? Wish you could help? You’re in luck—here’s 5 ways you can!

1. Keep Hydrated!
Hydration keeps kidneys strong and helps prevent kidney stones. Ensure your friends and family members with kidney disease are staying hydrated—and don’t forget to stay hydrated, as well. If they see you with a bottle, they’ll be more likely to grab one too!

2. Avoid Pain Relievers
Find ways to help someone with kidney disease relieve pain without the use of pain relieving products that are hard on your kidneys, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and Nurofen), aspirin and acetaminophen. Look for neutral ways to manage pain with doctor recommended stretching, meditation and Epsom salt baths.

3. Improve Habits
Eating less protein and more vegetable along with doctor-recommended exercise are great ways to care for your body and kidneys! If they’re cigarette smokers, encourage them to put those cigarettes down!
Smoking slows the blood flow to the kidneys and can make kidney disease worse.

4. Empower Engagement
Encourage kidney disease patients to learn as much as they can about slowing the progression of their disease. Information is power. Get them engaged with their doctors by helping them prepare a list of questions before they arrive to their appointments and don’t let them leave the office until their questions have been answered satisfactorily. Are care providers teaching them how to secure their best possible outcome? Empower kidney disease patients to use their voice and become their own best advocate. Learn more here: www.shiftyourfate.com

5. Improve Outcomes
Most kidney patients don’t realize they can avoid dialysis (or end their need for dialysis) by receiving a transplant from a living kidney donor. Currently, there are 100,000 people waiting for a kidney from a deceased organ donor, with an average wait of 5 years. Living kidney donors can end the wait.

This year, less than 18,000 people of the 100,000 waiting will receive a kidney transplant. Considering these statistics, your help is needed to increase awareness and interest in living kidney donation. Get involved today.

Learn more about living kidney donation here: 

Learn how to find a living kidney donor here: www.findingkidneydonors.com.

Want to learn more?
Check out these powerful books on Amazon:

Shift Your Fate: Life-Changing Wisdom for Proactive Kidney Patients
Book page: www.shiftyourfate.com

In Pursuit of A Better Life: The Ultimate Guide For Finding Living Kidney Donors Book Page: www.findingkidneydonors.com

Living Kidney Donor Tribute Inspires Followers

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TransplantFirst Academy is raising community awareness in living kidney donation.

TransplantFirst Academy urged Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton to approve a proclamation in honor of living kidney donors for their brave gift. The proclamation was approved to be recognized throughout the month of January.

“Most healthy individuals don’t realize that they can donate one of their kidneys and make an immediate impact on someone’s life,” said Risa Simon, founder and CEO of TransplantFirst Academy. “The mayor’s proclamation combined with our billboard campaign, a tribute showcasing real-life living kidney donors, aims to expand awareness.”

“Since living kidney donors don’t wear a Medal of Honor or a superhero’s cape, it’s often hard to recognize them. Their decoration of a few tiny scars is a unique distinction of lifetime achievement for the role they played in saving lives.”

Living kidney donation is not for everyone. It takes a very special and healthy person to qualify. Simon added, “Kidneys are hard to come by and our nation’s deceased organ supply simply cannot meet the demand. We hope that our billboard campaign makes people aware that they can make an impact now, not just after they are deceased.”

TransplantFirst Academy’s billboard campaign goal is simple:
1. Honor living kidney donors for saving more than 132,160 lives (2,834 lives in Arizona) as of December 25, 2015.
2. Capture community attention that ignites interest in living kidney donation.
3. Save lives by ending the life-threatening wait for those in need.

As a passionate patient advocate and preemptive transplant recipient, Simon said, “When my living donor stepped forward on my behalf, I received more than a highly functioning kidney. I received a sense of duty to advocate for all those facing this reality.”

About TransplantFirst Academy:
TransplantFirst Academy is a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Phoenix, Ariz., dedicated to empowering and improving kidney patient outcomes. For more information, visit transplantfirst.org. To become a sponsor or request an interview, contact Risa Simon at 480-575-9353 or risa@transplantfirst.org.

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