In April 2022, I was diagnosed with kidney failure. By August, I had started dialysis and soon had to stop working full-time. Overnight, my life changed. Dialysis
became my new reality, and every day was focused on simply making it through treatment and staying healthy enough to keep going.
Kidney failure affects people from every walk of life, including professionals, caregivers and community members who want to continue contributing to society. Patients need more than basic treatment that keeps them alive. They need access to the newest medications, improved dialysis technologies, and innovative care options that can improve outcomes and quality of life.
I was fortunate to receive a kidney transplant in 2023 after finding a donor through social media. I am deeply grateful, but I know many patients are still waiting and relying on dialysis every day. For them, access to innovation can make an enormous difference in both survival and long-term health.
That’s why I urge Rep. Mike Kennedy and Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis to support the Kidney Care Access Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would strengthen Medicare support for dialysis providers, expand access to innovative treatments for anemia and infection prevention, as well as medications to reduce phosphorus and antibodies to make transplants more accessible.
For kidney patients, innovation is not an abstract policy. It is better care, better outcomes, and a better chance to reclaim your life.
Adrian Ropp, Draper, Utah
