When it comes to kidney health, taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. Today, we’re exploring how mental health support can improve your overall well-being and breaking the stigma around therapy and medications.

In this episode we heard from:

Lydia Johnson, MSW -Lydia is a social worker based in Massachusetts. They previously worked in direct care as a dialysis social worker and now serve at the national level as a leader in support of home dialysis social workers and the growth of home dialysis in the kidney care community.

Malkia White -Malkia was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy when she was only 6 years old. In 2017, she began doing nocturnal dialysis for 3 years, 3 nights a week from 9pm – 3am while maintaining a full-time job. In November of 2021 she received a kidney transplant. She celebrates life by continuing to advocate for kidney health and shares her story to encourage people and give others hope.

Shannon Glynn -Shannon Glynn is committed to having face-to-face conversations and dialogue to champion the issues central to the National Kidney Foundation mission. She received her life-saving kidney from her friend Molly in March of 2009 after being on peritoneal dialysis for seven months. And while Shannon thinks that petitions championing the issues are important, she wants to meet with representatives to discuss the concerns surrounding kidney issues today so that they can take action. Shannon believes that care and coverage are essential for transplant patients. She is passionate about the intersection of mental health, kidney disease, and overall wellness.

NKF Peers

According to a 2024 World Health Organization study, over the last 50 years vaccines have saved over 154 million lives worldwide from over 20 life threatening diseases. As vaccines are facing skepticism, we are here to cut through the noise and lay out the facts as to why staying up-to-date on vaccinations is especially important for kidney patients.

This episode is sponsored by Moderna.

In today's episode we heard from:

Mary Baliker has been a dedicated healthcare advocate for the past 40 years, and is involved in several kidney initiatives regionally, nationally and globally. Mary was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease at the age of nine and since then has undergone hemodialysis and received four kidney transplants. As a result of this life-long journey, Mary cherishes her life and possesses a strong desire to help improve the healthcare experience, health outcomes and quality of life for patients with kidney disease. In addition to publishing multiple peer reviewed articles related to the kidney patient experience, Mary is the author of Maria Never Gives Up, a story written to help children and families facing chronic illnesses. Her book is distributed across transplant and dialysis centers nationwide and is available for purchase online

William Werbel, MD, PhD is a transplant infectious diseases physician and scientist at Johns Hopkins focused on optimizing protection against infections in immunocompromised persons. He completed clinical and research fellowship in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins following MD training at the University of Michigan and internal medicine residency and chief residency at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. He is the current Associate Director for Epidemiology and Quantitative Sciences in the Johns Hopkins Transplant Research Center and principal investigator of the national Emerging Pathogens of Concern in Immunocompromised Persons (EPOC) cohort study. He receives NIH funding to study the landscape of infections in transplant recipients and evaluate the real-world impact of vaccination using a combination of epidemiological and laboratory approaches.

Additional Resources:

Vaccines for CKD Patients

Vaccine Integrity Project

IDSA Immunization Resources

Emerging Pathogens of Concern in Immunocompromised Persons (EPOC) Study

Do you have comments, questions, or suggestions? Email us at NKFpodcast@kidney.org. Also, make sure to rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts.