Stride for Life was created by Yolanda Patton-Hughes to spread kidney awareness. Below is a snippet of Yolanda's story to help share the importance of kidney awareness.
Yolanda is a two-time kidney transplant recipient. She went into kidney failure for the first time in 2015, without any prior knowledge of the functionality and importance of the kidneys. The doctors were unable to provide answers on why she was going through kidney failure, deeming Yolanda a special case. As time went on, every day was a learning experience; Yolanda started hemodialysis at home and traveled for placement on different state transplant lists. After two years, St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City called with a kidney ready for Yolanda in September 2017. The transplant went well with no complications. Even after the transplant, the learning experiences continued. The transplant aftercare and the required medication to prevent rejection were just as intense as trying to save the kidney.
Unfortunately, Yolanda could not prevent rejection when she got COVID-19 in 2021. Yolanda was picked up from her house in an ambulance and spent a couple of weeks in the ICU. After beating COVID-19, Yolanda was released from the hospital with an oxygen tank for a short period. Then, training for peritoneal dialysis began. After a couple more years, St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City blessed Yolanda with another kidney in May 2023. Once again, the surgery went well, without any complications.
Two kidney transplants later, the learning experiences continue to this day. Please take your kidneys seriously and take two simple tests to check your kidneys' functionality. The
National Kidney Foundation states that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is evaluated using a blood test known as the
estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and a urine test known as the
urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR).