We are thrilled to introduce our new Patient Spotlight — a place where we celebrate ordinary people who face each day with EXTRAORDINARY strength and courage.
These stories honor the resilience of our patients and their families, showcasing the REAL PEOPLE behind our mission and the REAL CHANGE happening in our community.
Join us as we shine a light on their journeys and the hope that drives us forward.
There are over 15,000 Tennesseans living with kidney failure. Meet some of the individuals battling kidney disease and learn how our organization has helped change their lives for the better. Read their stories below.
Teresa W Smith
In 2016, Teresa was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a hereditary disorder that causes cysts to develop within the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and eventually lose function. Teresa has strived to live a healthy lifestyle over the last nine years,...
Neil Crye
In 2020, I went in for routine lab work—just trying to keep my health insurance premiums affordable. I felt perfectly fine. No pain. No symptoms. No warning signs. Then a single phone call changed everything. I was diagnosed with FSGS (Focal Segmental...
Howard Chapman
For Anderson County resident Howard Chapman, the wait for a kidney transplant has been long, heavy, and deeply personal. Like many Tennesseans facing chronic kidney disease, Howard has spent years balancing hope with the daily discipline required to stay alive. He has...
“A Little Goes a Long Way”: Sulamon Wong’s Dialysis Journey
For Sulamon Wong, life changed suddenly and completely. Born and raised in Knoxville, Sulamon never imagined he would one day spend much of his life connected to a dialysis machine. He had no history of kidney disease and didn’t even know anyone on dialysis. In July...
Bill Scott’s Wait for a Kidney Transplant
Every night, Bill Scott hooks himself up to a dialysis machine before going to sleep. It’s a routine he never imagined would define his life, one he hopes will soon come to an end. Bill is currently on peritoneal dialysis (PD), a form of dialysis that allows patients...
Brenda Newton: Making Lemonade
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” For Brenda Newton, medical challenges have let her “make lemonade” time and time again. Diabetic to Dialysis At just 16 years old, Brenda Newton received news of a diabetes diagnosis. “Being a diabetic at age 16 caused me...
Deborah McGee: Definition of Positivity
If there was a photo example of the word ‘positivity’ in the dictionary, you would find a picture of Deborah McGee.Never Giving Up Experiencing two open heart surgeries, having lived in a shelter, and a returning dialysis patient, Ms. McGee radiates gratitude and...
Days With Dialysis: Samuel Pickle’s Dialysis Journey
“Without it I wouldn't be able to make it.”Diabetic to Dialysis Originally from Knoxville, Mr. Pickle has called Blount County home for the past eight years. Mr. Pickle was diagnosed with kidney failure in August 2021. “I was on the phone with a urologist and they...
Corey Winnie: Survivor and Advocate
Corey is optimistic when it comes to dialysis, advocating for patients and educating those who don’t seem to know much about kidney disease or the dialysis process. Never Giving Up Meet Corey Winnie. Corey’s kidneys failed in February 2019. He has a family history of...
Shannon Short: One Patient’s Story and the Life-Saving Power of Organ Donation
“It’s a challenge. You gotta do your due diligence, take medications, go to doctor appointments, gotta structure yourself. Stay with it, even though sometimes you feel like giving up. You gotta keep your head up and keep on going because it isn’t easy.”Shannon Short’s...