A Lucky Man

Photo by KS KYUNG on Unsplash

I love interviewing extraordinary people. And Jeff Piotraschke definitely fits the bill. As part of my work with the National Kidney Foundation, I learned how Jeff’s kind heart led him to donate his kidney to his sister, Kathy. Selfless and family-focused, Jeff’s intention to improve Kathy’s health became the catalyst for his own self-improvement. And…

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The Joy of “Normal”

Joy of Normal

When I interviewed Mary Roethler about her remarkable claim to fame—a kidney transplant recipient celebrating 42 healthy years compliments of her sister, Ruth—her zest for life burst through our phone connection. All the normalcy she’d enjoyed since the age of fifteen (when she received her sister’s life-saving gift), seemed a miracle. Freedom from a dialysis…

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All in the Family

Family

What an honor to write stories about remarkable people for The National Kidney Foundation Newsletter. I’ve just finished a feature on a cheerful, generous man named Jeremiah Bartel. His story (his whole family’s story) is inspiring. Talk about solidarity. Talk about good karma in action. And who could have guessed that after our second interview……

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