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Crucial Need for Kidney Donors Highlighted in Documentary Ģ����ý�The Gift of HopeĢ����ý�

More than 95,000 people in the United States are awaiting a kidney transplant, and a new documentary, Ģ����ý�The Gift of HopeĢ����ý� shines a light on their reality, chronicling the journey of people who have lived with kidney disease.

Made possible by Ģ����ý North America, NBC BostonĢ����ý�s Ģ����ý�The Gift of HopeĢ����ý� shows what life is like for those awaiting an organ transplant. The documentary follows a kidney transplant recipient who received the gift of life when an altruistic donor, a person wishing to donate a kidney but who has no intended recipients, was a match.

Ģ����ý�Every day, our team of nearly 70,000 employees cares for thousands of people living with kidney disease.��And if thereĢ����ý�s one thing we know from our decades of experience, itĢ����ý�s that receiving the gift of life through a transplant is the best optionĢ����ý�, said Bill Valle, CEO of Ģ����ý North America. Ģ����ý�Thousands of people continue to wait, hoping for the chance to receive the gift of life through a transplant.Ģ����ý�

There are 229,000 Americans living with a kidney transplant, according to the 2020 United States Renal Data System (USRDS)��, yet there are more than 95,000 awaiting one. While in 2020, there were��, the need for kidney donors continues to rise.

Ģ����ý�The ability to have enough organs is probably one-tenth to one-fifth of what it should be,Ģ����ý� said Dr. Frank W. Maddux, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Ģ����ý. Ģ����ý�There are somewhere between 10 and 12 times more people actively waiting for a kidney transplant than there are available donors. Transplantations, whether kidneys, lungs, heart, livers, or other things, are truly life-saving procedures.Ģ����ý�

The documentary follows the life of Roshanda Turner, a home dialysis patient who has been on a kidney transplant list for seven years. With two daughters, Roshanda discusses the emotional experience of awaiting a kidney transplant.

Ģ����ý�The wait for a donor can be anywhere from 5 years to 10 years,Ģ����ý� said Turner. Ģ����ý�You could save a family, not just one life, but a whole family. It is not just me; I have my kids, my boyfriend, I have a whole life.Ģ����ý�

The documentary also shows what life is like for those who have successfully received a kidney transplant. John McCarty, a former home dialysis patient who was the recipient of a kidney from an altruistic donor, recounts his journey from dialysis to transplant. His kidney donor also joins the documentary, and the two discuss how a true friendship has formed since the successful transplant.

In 2018, Ģ����ý North America established the����to help the patients, families, and communities most greatly impacted by kidney disease. The FoundationĢ����ý�s focus is on raising awareness of kidney disease and transplant as a life-saving solution. Through the FoundationĢ����ý�s financial support of innovative organizations and programs, its work aims to change the trajectory of kidney disease.��

While a kidney transplant generally will last an average of 12 to 15 years, a transplant from a living donor lasts an average of 15 to 20 years. For those interested in learning about becoming a kidney donor, there are resources available at��,��, and��.

Ģ����ý�The Gift of HopeĢ����ý� aired on Friday, January 22, 2021 in the Boston area and is available for viewing��.