http://www.kidney.org/news/wkd/

Dear Friend:

Today is World Kidney Day! It’s the perfect time to look back and celebrate the progress we have made in the fight against kidney disease.

In 1950, when the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) was founded, people with kidney failure had little hope or available treatments: there was no dialysis or transplants, which meant they simply died.

Today, kidney patients can enjoy rich and productive lives, and NKF is proud to have played a role in providing vital programs and services for these individuals and their families for the past 60 years. But, now we need your help more than ever.

The scope of kidney disease continues to grow: 26 million Americans–1 in 9–have chronic kidney disease. More than 367,000 currently depend on dialysis for survival. More than 83,000 are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Every two hours, one person waiting for a kidney dies.

As we commemorate our 60th Anniversary, the need for our services remains critical. Please make a generous gift to our 60th Anniversary Fund Campaign. You can also help us by becoming a volunteer fundraiser for NKF and by reaching out to your family, friends and coworkers

All gifts help us provide valuable public and professional education, early detection screenings, and research into the causes and treatments of kidney diseases. They also provide vital services to people with kidney disease, dialysis patients, transplant recipients and organ donors across the United States.

Happy World Kidney Day and thank you for helping us provide help and hope to everyone affected by kidney disease.

Sincerely,

John Davis, CEO
The National Kidney Foundation

This year the National Kidney Foundation of Utah received around 30 phone calls from donors seeking their tax receipts after they donated to what they believed to be the Kidney Kars donation program.  They have all be adamant they donated to us.  In searching around, we discovered that the a car processing center in California, who has over 300 charity clients–including American Kidney Fund (in Maryland), Kidney & Urology Foundation (New York), and Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (New York)–had been advertising using the words “Kidney Kars” “Kidney Cars” and “Kidney Foundation.”  We were devastated.  We later learned that the State of Utah Division of Consumer Protection had been after this company for two years to try and stop their operations in Utah. We implore anyone interested in donating their car to please only use the 1-800-TOW-KARS phone number or the www.towKars.org website.  When you talk to the phone operators, always ask where they are located.  If they are not in Utah–do not donate to them unless you are sure you want your money to go to that organization out of state.  Also, ask if that charity has a Better Business Bureau ranking on their webpage.  The Better Business Bureau has information about every charity in the state online, readily available for anyone to see and it should be visible from the charity’s website.  Please do not be angry with the National Kidney Foundation of Utah’s Kidney Kars program  if you accidentally donated to some other organization.  Kidney Kars has been in operation since 1988 and continues to be Utah’s #1 choice for car donation.  Please  remember 1-800-TOW-KARS (1-800-869-5277) or www.towKars.org!  Our office is in Provo, we look forward to answering your questions about how to donate a car to Kidney Kars.  Towing is free, and the donation is tax deductible.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/CutYourTaxes/10bigDeductionsTooManyPeopleMiss.aspx

I wanted to thank the foundation for the generous scholarship I received.  Going to college has gone from a dream to reality.  But without the assistance the National Kidney Foundation of Utah has provided, I do not know where I’d be today. You are helping me make a better life for myself.  I’m 21 now, but when I was 16 I received a kidney transplant.  It changed my life.  Being sick makes you wonder if you will ever be able to accomplish anything and now I have the world at my fingertips.  I am the first person in my family to go to college.  I am in my final semester of the Occupational Therapy Assistance program at Salt Lake Community College.  I have always had an interest in the medical field.  I am very grateful to be able to persue my passion.  The Kidney Foundation does wonderful things and I will forever be grateful for how you have helped me since my transplant.  Sincerely, Brooke R.

The holiday season is tough enough without the additional frustration of having Polycystic Kidney Disease. Thank-you for your support.  I work for a company that offers good health insurance–for which I am grateful…but the longer I live with the disease, the co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses–soon begin to take their toll on the budget.  The $350 gift to help us pay for some of our medications in the month of December gave me tremendous hope that I can keep on trying and working.  I will never be able to thank-you enough for what you do for us patients and those of us who feel victim to the relentlessness of kidney disease.  My love and respect goes out to you and all the wonderful donors of the Kidney Foundation that help people like us.   Sincerely, David J.

Dear Kidney Foundation:  Thank you so much for the gas card to help us buy fuel to get to and from dialysis this week.  We have to make the 130 mile round trip 3 times a week.  We live in Panguich, and must drive over the mountain pass (Bear Valley, Hwy 20) to get to Cedar City–even in bad weather–because my husband simply can not miss dialysis or he will die.   We have put our home up for sale in order to move closer to the clinic, but it is very sad.  My husband was born in this very bedroom. It is a very old home, and special to us, but don’t know if anyone will even buy it.   In the meantime, we will make the drive to Cedar City, faithfully 3 times a week.  Thank you for your help and assistance in helping us get there.  Please let me know if I can do anything to help the Foundation.  I am good at making flyers and advertising, and have run a blood drive at our Church Social Hall.  Let me know if this is helpful, I want to help and return the favor to your organization.  Thank you again for your help, and concern for our wellfare.  Sincerely,   David & Connie O.

Dear Ms. Vetterli:  In the letter, you stated to ‘help lighten the burden and improve the quality of life for Utah & Idaho dialysis and tranpslant patients.’  No truer words about the Kidney Foundation have ever been spoken.  Unless you have experienced kidney failure, and dialysis, you have no idea how much the Kidney Foundation helps in every way.    For every Kidney Kar donation, for every company that donates money, for every generous donor– I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I wish I could personally thank each donor and tell them how much they have helped relieve the huge burden of living with k idney failiure is on me and my family.  I probably would have died 3 years ago without your help with my medications and housing.  I was giving up the struggle to stress and financial burdens I was unable to bear while I was so sick.  I stil have bad days, but I feel like I have you, and the Kidney Foundation donors helping ‘lighten my burden’ and that makes me want to keep fighting to be around for my children and for those who have been so generous.  Thank you so much.  Sincerely, Hazel G.

http://www.slate.com/id/2241530/?GT1=38001

Dear Kidney Kars, I am writing to give thanks for all you have done for me to help me stay current on my insurance premiums.  Living with kidney failure has so many aspects that need to be addressed– always when you least expect it.  Last week, I had surgery to try and place a Peritoneal Dialysis catheter so I can dialyze at home.  This has been a long process to get that to work, and when I got to dialysis on Friday, my fistula clotted, and I needed to have a fistula-gram to open it up again.  This was much unexpected– but so like kidney failure.  Thank you again for the help and burden it relieves me of.  Merry Christmas to your donors who help improve our lives with their Kidney Kars and other donations.  R. Hammon

Dear Friends of the National Kidney Foundation of Utah:  I’ve been fighting renal failure for 2 1/2 years.  I’ve had lots of testing, with the end result of having a fistula put in my left arm, and doing 3 hours of dialysis 3 times a week.  I started dialysis last December 8, 2008.  One of the ‘blessings’ of end stage renal failure is all the love and giving from friends and family, and organizations like the  Kidney Foundation!  My ‘baby’ brother, and his wife have started the process of being tested to see if they can donate a kidney to me.  Words can not express my feelings of thanks and gratitude.  I am so grateful for the generosity of others, my family and the Kidney Foundation. Thank you, thank you!  From the bottom of my “kidney.”  –B. Jackson