National Kidney Foundation Celebrates 60 Years

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Boulder resident Signe Wheeler is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). 65 year-old Wheeler, a kidney transplant recipient, competes regularly in the National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games and helped lead her team, Team Rocky Mountain, to win the 2010 Transplant Games.

Here is Signe in her own words:
I first met my friend, Pam Doverspike, out at our horse barn. I had no idea how our lives would intertwine in the most profound way possible. My dream was to ride my horse over the 500-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. During this time, I learned I had polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and that my kidneys were failing. Pam, upon hearing this, immediately said that she was there for me if I ever was in need. By the end of the ride, my kidney function had dropped to end stage. I was destined for either dialysis or a transplant. Upon my approval as a transplant candidate, she immediately applied to see if she was a match. Pam was a match and within three months, we had a very successful transplant. We both attended the U.S. National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games in Pittsburgh in 2007. Pam was presented with the humanitarian award through her employer, FedEx. She enjoyed the special recognition ceremony given to living donors at the Transplant Games. We continue in any way we can to promote organ donation and awareness in our communities, participating in kidney walks, health fair educational programs, and Transplant Games promotion. There is never any way to thank your donor or donor family enough. Only through the joy of living every precious day can mirror the thankfulness that I wake up with every day of my life.

“We appreciate the generous public support of the National Kidney Foundation over the years,” remarked Kathy Wegner, vice president of the division. “In 1950, when the NKF was founded, there were no dialysis treatments or transplants, which meant people with kidney failure had no form of treatment and did not survive. Today, individuals and families with kidney disease can often enjoy rich and productive lives.”

Through its offices nationwide, the NKF provides early detection screenings, valuable public and professional education, research for new treatments and therapies, and vital services to people with kidney disease, dialysis patients, transplant recipients and organ donors.

The need for our services remains critical. Twenty-six million Americans, one in nine adults, have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk.
“As we commemorate our 60th anniversary, we ask you to join us in recommitting ourselves to the fight against kidney disease,” finished Wegner.

To learn more and to donate to the 60th Anniversary Fund Campaign, visit www.kidney.org/60.

The National Kidney Foundation Serving Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming is dedicated to preventing kidney and urinary tract disease, improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation. For more information, visit www.kidneycmw.org.