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Greg received a gym membership from the foundation.

I became a dialysis patient in October 2002. It has been five years of dialysis that has saved my life. It is not easy to maintain a normal life with 8 hours of dialysis 3 times a week. I drive about 40 miles round trip to receive my dialysis each time. My goal is to lose enough weight so that I can become healthy enough to receive a kidney transplant, and achieve some kind of quality of life. I need a strong exercise program and a trainer to help me achieve my goal.

Idella received an elliptical machine from the foundation.

Hello, my name is Idella, I live in Amite, Louisiana and I am a dialysis patient at the Amite Kidney Center. It was last year when the doctor told me that my kidneys where leaking out protein. During that time I kept fluid on me, I kept feeling bad; tired I mean I didn’t feel like doing anything. My doctor told me that sooner or later I would have to get on the kidney machine. I have to admit from the time that he told me that I started worrying even though my mom was a dialysis patient, so I know a little about it and what you go through. I have diabetes that is what knocked out my kidneys; I have to be cleansed out 3 times a week for four hours and 15 minutes each time. I started dialysis February, 2007 you feel a lot better when you have all that poison out of you and all that fluid off you also. I also have a weight problem, my goal is to lose weight but I need a plan. Now I can say I have the help to get me started, thanks to Shad Ireland and his organization and the social worker Melanie from the Kidney Center. I am very happy and thrilled to be getting the help I need for me to loose weight outside and hopefully inside the home. The next time the world hears from me I will be a different person.

Betty received a Tony Little Gazelle from the foundation.

My name is Betty; I have been on dialysis since May of 2002. When I was told that I had to go on to dialysis, I kept saying this must be some kind of mistake, but after I started adjusting to having to do it my whole life changed because of having to do dialysis 3 days a week 4 hours a day. I stopped working after awhile because I couldn’t work and do my treatments. My daughter had to go thru a big change, because of me being in the hospital and with me when I am at the center doing dialysis, I don’t get to see her a lot. My treatment days have changed over the years. I have had some ups and downs, but I still come for my treatments on all of my appointments, each day is different but I know I have to be strong to keep going if I want to be here for a very long time.

Tessie received an elliptical machine membership from the foundation.

I was eleven years old and didn’t understand that the word “Lupus” meant that my life would forever be altered. By the time I was thirteen, I understood that Lupus wasn’t just a crazy sounding word, but a mean and relentless disease that keeps gnawing and digging at its victim until it gets what it wants. In my case, it wanted my kidneys and my kidneys got it. Between the ages of eleven and eighteen, I was hospitalized too many times to count with a wide range of problems that all stemmed from Lupus. I had asthma quite frequently between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, seizures at seventeen and kidney failure at eighteen. I had known since the age of thirteen that my kidneys were suffering and swore that I would rather die than become a dialysis patient, but when faced with the choice, I chose life. Dialysis was defiantly hard to adjust to at the beginning, but I slowly accepted it. I looked at all the people that I loved and knew that they needed me to live, so I fought even more to regain my strength. School was very hard for me at the beginning of my kidney failure. I was on peritoneal dialysis and dialyzed four times a day, which meant that instead of going to lunch , I was doing my mid day dialysis treatment in the nurses office. I eventually left school with out my high school diploma. After four years of peritoneal dialysis, I started Hemodialysis. It would take me ten years of starting and stopping school before I would receive my GED. During the first eight years, I helped to take care of my older brother who had suffered a head injury. After his death, I realized that having life and living life were two very different things I wanted both. I received my GED and enrolled in college. Everyone thought that I would quit, but I fought harder to prove everyone, including myself, that I could do it. I wanted to become a nurse and nothing was going to stop me. I have been in college since August 2003 and will graduate in May 2009 as a Registered Nurse. I have never felt as proud of myself as I do now. Not only am I well on my way to achieving my goals, but I will be able to encourage others to live and reach their dreams, never letting obstacles stop them, but learning to find ways around them. I am now thirty-three years old and have been on dialysis for fifteen years. I am at the top of the kidney transplant list and waiting for the gift of life; a gift that is so precious to the recipient and donor family. It’s an unbelievable miracle that out of someone’s tragedy, the family finds strength to save a strangers life and it’s something that I could never find the words to express how much it means to people like me. I plan to work with dialysis and transplant patients when I graduate and hope that my journey will encourage many to keep going and never give up because life is always worth living, no matter the circumstance. Lupus changes my life, but it didn’t win. It has been in remission for fourteen years. The lessons that I learned through this disease made me a different, better person than I thought I could be. Hard times and trials in life can make or break us, but it’s all up to us to find the positive in every situation and use it to help us in our journey of living life.

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Brandon received a gym membership from the foundation.

My name is Brandon, I am 27 years old and this hit me all at once. It’s hard having this but as long as you think positive and have a good out look on life everything will be alright. This is just something else to test my spirit, it’s not a piece of cake and it is hard to swallow but I will make it, we all will.

Alvin received a gym membership from the foundation.

I would like to loose weight so I can get a transplant and I think this gym membership will help me out a lot.

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Charles received a gym membership from the foundation.

I have been on dialysis for 7 years and I am 38 years old. I am a single dad and I sometimes get very discouraged. I often skip dialysis and just don’t feel like coming to my treatments. I am trying to better my self and my health.

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George received a home gym from the foundation.

I have been on dialysis for six years and it has been an up and down mystery. What I have learned is to trust the Lord and have self control and everything will work out all right.

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Douglas received a gym membership from the foundation.

I have been on dialysis since March of 2005. I have seen many people come and go and don’t want to go like them. They gave up because they didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, well I can and I will do all I can to help others see it too. I am not anyone special I just believe that God has a purpose for my life no matter what shape my body is in and as long as I have life in this body it is to do God’s will. And I truly believe that me passing in this way will not be in vain.

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Mathilda received a gym membership from the foundation.

You have really been an inspiration to my life Shad. I am a really happy person and just take life one day at a time. When I was diagnosed with kidney failure I always had hope that everything would be alright. It was a painful experience physically and emotionally. For the past 5 years I have been on dialysis. It has been a struggle but well worth it for me and my family.

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John received a gym membership from the foundation.

I am a large gentleman that has been on dialysis for over a year. I am married with 2 daughters. I have had a rough couple of years. My home was damaged in Hurricane Lili and is still not fixed. My family has been living with my mother which has been very stressful on all of us. We are currently going through court to have AllState Pay for repairs. I desperately want a kidney transplant and need to loose weight to get one.

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Rafeal received a stationary bike from the foundation.

I am 30 years old and I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 2. I have always tried to excel with my health but as Shad mentioned in his book, we sometimes have to fall and get back up. My kidneys started to fail in 1999 some days were good and some days were bad. I started dialysis in 2004 I had a pancreases and kidney transplant January 29th 2007, and my kidney rejection came in March of 2007. I am now on hemo dialysis and on the transplant list again, my pancreas is doing well.

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Melanie received a treadmill from the foundation.

I was diagnosed with PKD in 1986. At the time of diagnosis, I was told I will be on dialysis within 10 years. In July of 2007, I had both kidneys removed and started dialysis, 22 years later. I have always believed that with diet and exercise you could keep yourself healthier and more able to combat any problem that your body may have. I am on the transplant list however no family member can donate because the disease is hereditary and usually doesn’t appear until the thirties. My donor will have to be outside of the family. As I await a transplant, I am determined to stay healthy.