When Adrian Ruiz gave birth to her second little boy, Avery, in December of 2003 she thought she knew what to expect. She was ready for the cries in the middle of

the night, the return to cleaning bottles and changing diapers. But just one month into their new journey together, her little boy’s life took a turn that Adrian never

expected.

It was at Avery’s first wellness check that the pediatrician noticed something was wrong. Adrian remembers, “His tummy had gotten a little big in that

first month. I didn’t think anything of it until the doctor saw him and scheduled an emergency ultrasound.”

What they discovered was that Avery was suffering from an often fatal genetic disorder known as Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease or ARPKD. It’s a condition that causes cysts to develop in the kidneys resulting in massive enlargement and severe high blood pressure.

For the next few years, Avery’s life consisted of an array of tubes, medications and constant emergency hospital visits for dehydration, sepsis and other

complications. Adrian says, “This was extremely difficult for Avery. Most adults in this situation can get their head around it, but kids are different. They should be out playing instead of being tied to a bed looking like a zombie. They miss their childhood.”

In 2007, he was almost four years old and on his fifth blood pressure medication when a pharmacy mix-up sent an unresponsive Avery to the ER.

Fall 2014

WINTER 2014

A MOTHER’S LOVE: A STORY YOU WON’T SOON FORGET

PAGE 2A message from Jeffrey Neff, CEO of National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.

PAGE 3March is National Kidney Month! Free health screenings by Path to Wellness will be available on March 28. Appointments are limited.

PAGE 4National Kidney Foundation of Arizona is holding its annual Kidney Walk on April 19th at Chase Field. Come be a part!

Continued inside...

A healthy, happy Avery on his way to school.

This month we take a look at the personal story of one of our board members, Adrian Ruiz. She’s a wonderful example of what a difference we can make when we decide to go the extra mile for someone in need. Adrian’s blood type happened to be a match for her little boy – but did you know that we all have the power to become a living donor regardless of what our blood type is?

It’s called a paired exchange donation. Basically, it occurs when a living kidney donor is incompatible with the

recipient, and so exchanges kidneys with another donor/recipient pair. It sounds confusing, but it

saves lives every day!

For more information on going above and beyond and becoming a

hero for not one, but two lives, please check out the

Options For Incompatible Donors section of our Living Donor guide available at www.ermabombeckproject.org.

Jeffrey D. Neff , CEO

FROM THE CEO

Fortunately, doctors were able to revive him but the scare was too much for his mother Adrian.

“I said, ‘We can’t keep doing this. He’s on too many medications.’ I wanted to wait until he was a little bigger, but

that wasn’t an option any longer. That’s when I started the process to become a living kidney donor.”

One year later, Avery had both of his kidneys removed and one of his mother’s put in.

“When you have problems with your kidneys, your blood

becomes toxic and it makes food taste bad. Avery always got his nutrition from a feeding tube so he never really had the desire to eat. It was wonderful seeing my little boy eat a real meal for the first time in his life!”

For Adrian, the surgery has had very little impact on the way her body operates. She’s not limited in her diet in any way and reports she feels no different now than before the surgery. The experience has led her to become a member of our board here at the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona, to encourage others to become living kidney donors to people in need. This year she’s also accepted the position of Chairman of our Phoenix Kidney Walk.

“Before the surgery, I was up till 1 a.m. almost every night doing research on the web, searching for somebody that had been in our position, looking for personal stories that would reassure me that everything would turn out ok. It’s for people that are where I was, that our Kidney Walk is so important. It not only raises awareness for the 600,000 people currently struggling with Polycystic Kidney Disease, it brings people in contact with those who have been there, who have a story to tell – and that’s powerful.”

For information on how you can participate at this year’s Kidney Walk on April 19th and meet Adrian in person, visit http://bit.ly/PHXKidney today. We hope to see you there!

A MOTHER’S LOVE: A STORY YOU WON’T SOON FORGETCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Avery and Adrian relax together after the transplant surgery.

TURKEY STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

An estimated 31 million Americans have it. It’s the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. And moreover, 9 out of 10 people who have it don’t know it.

It’s Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD.

Often referred to as the silent killer, its symptoms are rarely noticed – until it is too late.

For this reason, it is vital that we understand what our risks are, how we can keep our kidneys in good working order and most importantly where to get tested.

Ingredients2 medium green bell peppers (red, if preferred)1 tablespoon oil1/2 cup finely chopped onion12 ounces ground turkey1/4 teaspoon cumin1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning1 cup cooked rice2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese1/4 cup egg substitute

DirectionsCut tops off the bell peppers, core out the seeds. Par boil in boiling water 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from water. Set aside and cool.

Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion until soft. Add turkey meat and brown well. Remove excess liquid and fat. Add cooked rice and spices to mixture. Mix thoroughly. Cut peppers in half. Place in small baking dish. Spoon 3/4 cup meat/rice mixture into each pepper half. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.Serves 4

This month, we’ve included another delicious, kidney-friendly recipe your whole family is sure to enjoy. Bon appetit!

Serving Size: 1 pepper half; Choice: 3 Meat/Protein, 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable; Calories: 323; Protein: 28; Total Fat: 16; Saturated Fat: 4; Cholesterol: 89; Carbohydrates: 15; Calcium: 81; Phosphorus: 238; Potassium: 405; Sodium: 168

MARCH IS NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTH!

“Sydney the Kidney” is excited about National Kidney Month!

PATH TO WELLNESSMARCH 28On March 28th, the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona together with the Cardio Renal Society of America, and the Arizona Living Well Institute is offering a FREE health screening by Path to Wellness funded by the BHHS Legacy Foundation.

Adults 18 or over who have diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease or have a family member with one of these conditions, are eligible to attend. Path to Wellness offers:

• FREE health Screening• IMMEDIATE blood and urine results

• FREE medical consultation• FREE Education

• FREE 6-week Healthy Living Workshop

Appointments are limited. Please call to schedule yours today at 602-840-1644 or for Spanish please call 602-845-7905. Screenings are held at Kroc Corps Community Center, 1375 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040.

Non-Profit Org

US Postage

PAID

Permit No. 2073

Phoenix, AZ

National Kidney Foundation of Arizona360 E. Coronado Rd. • Suite 180Phoenix, AZ 85004

Come out and join the fun this April 19th at Chase Field as the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona holds its 5th annual Kidney Walk! It’s an opportunity for patients, transplant recipients, organ donors, families, friends, groups and businesses to come together to celebrate life and create lasting advocacy and long-term support for our Arizona patients. For more information or to register today scan the QR code with your cell phone or visit http://bit.ly/PHXKidney.

EVENTSMarch 12 World Kidney DayMarch 13 NKF Golf Classic TucsonMarch 28 Path to Wellness Health Screening

April 19 Phoenix Kidney WalkMay 30 Prom Redux

Visit www.azkidney.org for details on events!

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