My daughter, Diana, passed away at 45 due to complications from kidney failure. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 6, she later showed signs of kidney disease and needed dialysis for more than two years. Diana received two kidney transplants. The first, in 2008, was a gift from her aunt. We were fortunate that the transplant costs were covered. Without that support, too many living donor transplants are denied because of insurance barriers. In 2018, Diana was placed on the transplant list, and just one week later, she received a perfect match. Still, her challenges didn’t end there. A [...]

Regarding “Affordable Care Act premiums for Texas expected to rise in 2026,” (Dec. 30): Kidney disease runs deep in my family. My grandfather had kidney disease in the 1930s when few treatments even existed. My mother started dialysis in the 1980s and lived in constant fear of being dropped by her clinic due to coverage issues. I started dialysis in 2009 and stayed on it until 2023. On Sept.16, 2023, I received a kidney transplant from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. To God be the glory! I am deeply grateful, but I also know my journey isn’t [...]

In 2017, I had a heart attack, stroke, and was diagnosed with kidney failure. I soon began dialysis, the only treatment besides a transplant for kidney failure. Thankfully, I received a transplant more than three years ago. I may be post-transplant, but I know many who are still on dialysis, including my mother. My sisters and I have been caring for her through her dialysis journey. We couldn’t imagine our mother going through this alone. Yet, many patients don’t have support systems. That’s why we need a system that’s fair and forward-looking, one that doesn’t abandon patients. That’s why I’m [...]

Kidney failure turned my life upside down. I was only 19 years old and three months pregnant when I began dialysis, the only treatment outside of a transplant for kidney failure. Since then, I’ve received a transplant that ultimately failed, and I’ve spent nearly a decade back on dialysis. It’s an exhausting and all-consuming treatment — but what makes it worse is how outdated and underfunded our system is when it comes to new therapies. That’s why I support the Kidney Care Access Protection Act (KCAPA). It would fix the way Medicare pays for innovative drugs and devices used in [...]