In 2009, my Uncle Ronnie came to my Bar Mitzvah less than two weeks after undergoing a kidney transplant. That kind of surgery typically means 3 to 5 days in the hospital and 4 to 6 weeks of limited movement afterward. Yet there he was, in a sport coat, supporting me on one of the most monumental days of my life.
 

It was his second transplant. He'd been diagnosed with kidney disease at just 26, and as it progressed, his brother (my Uncle Steve) became his first donor. Years later, when a second transplant became necessary, his business partner and close friend, Kathy, stepped up and gave him the gift of a kidney too. Two people who loved him gave him a second and a third chance at life.

Kidney disease hasn't stopped with Uncle Ronnie. His brother, my Uncle Michael, was also diagnosed with kidney disease in the 1990s. In June 2017, his kidneys began to fail and he needed a transplant of his own. Our cousin Chris turned out to be a perfect match and gave him that same gift.

Uncle Ronnie and Uncle Michael have been fortunate to have donors and the resources and care to turn early diagnoses into long lives. For over three decades, I've watched both of them spend that fortune on other people, spearheading initiatives for the National Kidney Foundation and pushing for greater awareness of kidney disease.

I'm running to do a small part in adding to their efforts to help raise support so more people diagnosed with kidney disease get to have their own version of what I had on my Bar Mitzvah day: family showing up with love and support.

Join me in making these advances possible by donating to my efforts!

Thank you for your support!

Andrew