Board Members

I was born with only one functioning kidney, due to a birth defect called Spina Bifida. I have lived through many infections, blood transfusions, and broken bones. When I was born, doctors told my parents there was no way I would live more than a day. When I made it two days, they were told that I would not live more than a week – wrong again! Then they were told that yes, I may live, but I would need to be placed in a state institution. Fortunately, my parents did not agree to this either. For many years, I was told that I would need to start dialysis. Thankfully, through careful attention from much more qualified doctors and the grace of God, I made it until I was nearly 25 years old before I had to start dialysis, almost 20 years ago. During my time on dialysis, I went back to college and earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Athens State University in Athens, Alabama.

I am not eligible for a kidney transplant; therefore, I am extremely interested in new technology including the possibility of an artificial wearable or implantable kidney, and stem cell research. In addition, I try to learn as much as I can not only about the dialysis process but also all modalities so that I can help educate fellow patients and ESRD staff and the community as a whole on advancement in ESRD care.

I love to travel and still do a good bit even with receiving my treatments in center. It can be done with some extra planning and flexibility. I love to travel to other clinics so that I can truly get a feel for how dialysis patients are treated in other areas of the country.

I am honored to have been elected to the DPC Board of Directors. As a patient led organization, all board members must either be dialysis patients or transplant recipients. The board takes our direction from the DPC membership. I also have the honor of serving as the patient representative at my local clinic. Being involved is the only way to see the changes we need as patients to live fulfilled lives. Together I believe we can achieve great things for the needs of ESRD patients and their families.

My name is Natalie Zuniga, and I am a Stage 4 kidney disease patient living in San Antonio, Texas. My journey with kidney disease began five years ago, when I felt I could not breathe and was rushed to the hospital. I was diagnosed a Myocardial Infarction and Stage 4 kidney disease, which required hemodialysis three times a week for at least four hours a session.

Prior to the diagnosis, I was a corporate travel agent for over 30 years. I loved my job because I got to travel and meet new people. When I got the diagnosis, I thought my life was over. I thought this would never happen to me. But with the support of my husband of 35 years, Eddie who was also diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease three years prior, my Social Worker daughter, Desirae and my son-in-law, Eric, I gained hope. With my husband we have adopted a healthier lifestyle involving changing our diet, being compliant with our treatment, and supporting others in our community.

I started volunteering at a local food pantry, and I was excited that I was able to make a difference in my community. But I wanted to take it a step further. In 2019 I had the opportunity to attend the Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) conference in Washington, DC. I was able to meet with legislators and their staff to advocate for dialysis patients like myself and my husband. I met some amazing DPC Board Members and fellow dialysis patients that have encouraged me to use my voice for the benefit of others. This experience gave me the ability to become the “go to person” when researching grants and spreading important policy information to fellow dialysis patients in my community.

I am thankful to DPC for giving me the opportunity of being a Board Member. Through hard work, awareness, resourcefulness, and innovation I will endeavor to make positive changes for my fellow dialysis patients.

My name is Steve Ahern. I was born and raised in the city of Philadelphia. For the past 36 years, I have worked as real estate salesperson in Avalon and Stone Harbor, NJ, a seasonal beach community along the southern Jersey shore. In addition, I volunteer with my local Board of Realtors. Serving a variety of responsibilities to include Director, Treasurer Director, and other positions. Prior to entering real estate, I spent time working for the federal government and the Philadelphia Savings Bank (PFSF) as a Manager of Branch Operations and a Commercial Loan Officer.

 I have been a dialysis patient for over six years. Currently, I am a Status 7 transplant patient as the result of various medical issues including heart stents and two bouts with lung cancer. I am honored to be a member of this board and will bring all of my energy in efforts to make life with dialysis as fruitful and positive as possible. Kidney disease can affect anyone, and the diversity of the dialysis community reflects that fact. I believe that bringing together our different backgrounds, both professionally and personally, has the power to make positive change.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams, especially the Philadelphia Eagles.

My name is Quiana  Bishop. I have been on hemodialysis for eight years. I recently found out that I do not qualify for a kidney transplant due to some medical issues, but I do know that my life doesn’t end there. I live in Detroit, Michigan but was raised in Chicago,  IL. My father was also on hemodialysis and had a transplant or two. I would like to think I am making him super proud by being a voice for others. I’m a single mother of a now 18 year old son. In my former life before I was diagnosed, I was a teacher. I taught elementary school briefly and ended my career teaching as an infant room teacher. Becoming a part of DPC has given me a purpose, a sense of hope that as a collective we can get some things done. I’m so happy and excited to be apart of the Board and hope that I can bring my ideas to the group.

Hello, I am Gene Blankenship. My family and I live in a small town located in Northeastern, Oklahoma in the heart of the Cherokee Nation. My first memory of kidney disease was watching my dad as he treated at home around the age of 10 (1988).  He passed when I was 12 years old from complications of kidney disease. His dad, my grandpa, also passed too soon due to complications from kidney disease. I have lost other relatives who also suffered from ESRD, and I have some who are currently on dialysis. I was diagnosed with PKD in 2003. I found out I had end stage renal failure from a routine doctor’s visit. My blood pressure was the first sign. I currently treat at a dialysis clinic on the Cherokee Nation Reservation three times per week. I am on three separate transplant lists in two separate regions of the United States. I am listed at The University of Arkansas Little Rock (WPS!!!), Integris Health System in Oklahoma City, and St. John Ascension in Tulsa, OK. Kidney disease, specifically Polycystic Kidney Disease, has been a significant passenger in my life and has caused most life decisions to be reevaluated. I want to help those who are in the kidney failure fight.

As a former State of Arkansas and State of Oklahoma Child Abuse Investigator, I quickly realized the need for representation amongst my fellow state workers. After two years with the State of Oklahoma, I transitioned to Oklahoma Public Employees Association where I could assist other state employees with a wide range of issues. My job takes me across the state of Oklahoma as the Northeastern Oklahoma Representative. Oklahoma Public Employees Association is a state employee led organization. I speak on a daily basis with both active and retired state employees about improving pay, benefits, grievance assistance, mediation, legislation, and much more. Oklahoma is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, and I am proud to be a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation.

I am thankful and fortunate to have the opportunity to serve on the Dialysis Patient Citizens Board of Directors. Advocacy is now a must in our society. Everyday Americans have limited access to legislators in D.C., which makes the mission of DPC that much more important. I cannot stress the importance of your unique story. It needs to be told. I would encourage you to become a patient Ambassador, make phone calls, write letters, and become involved in your area. It only takes one drop of water to start a ripple effect of change.

I am asked all the time about my positive attitude towards my kidney disease journey. My motivation is from my family. My four beautiful, wonderful kids Addyson (17), Dawson (16), Colton (14), and Gideon (4 going on 30). I want to see every graduation, wedding, birthday and every second in between. Therefore, my focus is my health along with improving the healthcare of others. It would be impossible for my wife to be any more supportive. Stacy is absolutely my biggest cheerleader. I could do nothing without her and my family. I am a blessed man surrounded by the best family and friends.

I was born with two kidneys and had to have one kidney removed when I was three weeks old due to an infection. I lived a healthy life with my one kidney with close supervision until around 2014 when I was informed by my doctors that my remaining kidney had deteriorated, and I was going to have to begin dialysis.

During my time undergoing dialysis, I took night classes to become a Dialysis Technician so that I could become informed about dialysis, the dialysis machine and how it was saving my life. Taking this course gave me the confidence I needed in approaching my care and making the right decisions for myself. With this new knowledge, I was able to help in my care by ensuring that my nurses and technicians consistently practiced proper protocol.

I was on dialysis for two and a half years before receiving a kidney from a deceased donor.

My involvement with Dialysis Patient Citizens as a Patient Ambassador has given me the opportunity to continue learning and to use my gift of life to serve as an example and a voice within my community for dialysis patients. Until I attended DPC’s Advocacy Day, I had no direction or experience as to how to go about advocating for dialysis patients. After meeting the DPC staff, members, fellow advocates and Patient Ambassadors at Advocacy Day 2017, I became so inspired to continue advocating with a more educated purpose.

The training day taught me how laws affect those living with kidney disease, how to speak with confidence about our cause, and prepared me to address congressional members on how important it is to recognize dialysis patients and pass bills to improve their quality of care. Having the opportunity speak to other DPC Ambassadors and advocates taught me that it can be a different experience living with ESRD depending on which state you live in pertaining to your health care and insurance.

I am dedicated to continually working to improve my fellow patients’ lives by helping them to stay positive and optimistic about the changes they have to make and understand the power they have in their health care. I want to develop new ways through advocacy to educate communities on issues relating to the care of kidney failure and preventative measures to help others avoid living with ESRD. Through my experience living with kidney disease, surviving kidney failure, undergoing dialysis and now appreciating the gift of life through organ donation, I am making a difference in the lives of so many as a transplant patient.

My journey started at 20 when I was diagnosed with stage 3 Testicular Cancer that spread to my lymphatic system, liver, and lungs. As a result of extremely aggressive chemotherapy, I wound up going into acute renal injury requiring temporary dialysis for about six months. After that, I finished my degree at University of New Haven in Criminal Justice and, because of the many times I required an ambulance, decided to get my EMT. My wife and I got married in July of 2006 and after a few months, my kidney function started to tank. I was fortunate that my adopted mother was a match, so I had a preemptive transplant in October of that year. I spent my time working as an EMT, ER Tech, and Public Safety officer for a local university. Then in December of 2008 the worst-case scenario happened and I lost the transplant. I initially did Peritoneal Dialysis, but after a couple years wound up with a massive infection, landing me in the hospital for a couple of months. Due to the surgeries and blood transfusions, I am no longer eligible for transplant. Since then, I have dedicated a large amount of my time to various organizations including IPRO ESRD Network of New England, Donate Life CT, New England Donor Services and, of course, DPC. Currently, I serve as the Assistant Chief of Easton EMS as an EMT where I have been for 22 years. I enjoy telling my story to various groups ranging from Driver’s Ed classes up to PhD research teams. I am a firm believer that, through education and advocacy, we can affect change in legislation, as well as individual understanding. My ultimate goal is to help break down the disparity of resources and support for both dialysis and transplant patients.

My name is Shekeila Harris and I am a transplant patient, advocate, and public health nurse. As an employee with the City of Vineland, New Jersey, I am an expert on the intersection between patient rights, and the implications of current mandates effecting quality care.

Diagnosed at the age of 21, like many Americans, I knew very little about the kidneys at the time. Looking back, I wish that I knew the signs of kidney disease, how an early diagnosis could have preserved my life, or even how to support myself as a patient. So, I’d like to change that. I firmly believe that as an advocate, it is my goal to help patients, care-takers, and providers better understand how people can use healthcare knowledge to make better decisions. A member of DPC since 2013, my projects have included: patient-centered support meetings, facility and dialysis treatment innovation tours, as well as speaking with elected officials on Capitol Hill.

I have also obtained a Masters of Business Administration with a focus on Healthcare Administration from Capella University. My trials with CKD has taught me that advocacy plays a key role in bringing evidence into the policy-making process, leading to a paradigm shift and a much-needed focus and resources to support and improve policy. People who live with this invisible illness should not feel invisible themselves; yet many of the millions of Americans living with kidney disease do. Therefore, it is my goal, to use not only my personal and clinical skills to effectively reach out to lawmakers, but I firmly believe that my acquired business skills will also have a positive impact.

DPC is a vibrant community of support and visibility — a patient-centered experience. This hits home for me. I know all too well that living with kidney disease is a journey that no one should travel alone or in the shadows. Joining the DPC’s board is an honor, and I am grateful to contribute to this important cause.

Hello, my name is Adrian Miller and I’m from Portland, Oregon. I currently reside in Vancouver, Washington with my wife and dog KOKO. I was diagnosed with ESRD in February of 2012 due to hypertension. My kidney journey has had its share of ups and downs through the years. I was on Dialysis for 6 1/2 years and during my time in the dialysis center was able to get a better understanding of how to live with kidney disease. I became an advocate for DPC because I believed in their fight to help all that struggling with kidney disease. It has become my life’s calling to help people who are fighting an illness and to make sure that their voices are always heard.

Becoming a member of the Board of Directors has taught me so much about advocacy and how I should be taking charge of my own health. DPC fights every day to make sure patient care is the number one priority. I was blessed in 2018 to have a transplant after spending six plus years on dialysis. Those years taught me so much about the different ways patients cope with ESRD and being hooked to a machine. I tell patients all over that being on dialysis saved my life which, I know that sounds a little weird, but it has. I was a heavy alcohol drinker as well as a recreational drug user and was going nowhere in life.

After being diagnosed with ESRD, I decided to change my life and become a more trusting and caring person. I just celebrated 12 years of being clean and sober.

I have two grandsons that keep me very busy outside of my Advocacy work. I also am very passionate about coaching Baseball for local kids in the community I live in.

I am an ESRD patient living in Baltimore, Maryland. My kidney disease started when I was 12 years old, when doctors diagnosed me with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hypertension. I have survived open-heart surgery and a left leg amputation, never letting either stop me or slow me down.

At the age of 33, I started in-center hemodialysis, which changed my life—not in a bad way, but in a good way. I learned that life does not end with dialysis, and I worked as a set-up technician for three years. The position gave me the opportunity to learn and understand the process from both sides, making me the bridge between patients and staff.

I was introduced to DPC to through my facility administrator, who hired me, and I became a Patient Ambassador. I have rallied on Capitol Hill, had lobby days in my center with visits from Members of Congress, and held healthcare booths at local churches and town events.

I love pre-education and teaching, as I worked in the school system as a computer paraprofessional. I have been to college and technical school, involved with ESRD NCC Network 5 as a PAC (Patient Advisory Committee), a subject-matter expert with an interest in emergency preparedness and a certified peer supporter.

DPC has now welcomed me as a board member. I hope with years of in-center hemodialysis I can bring some experience and expertise to this position and take some information back to patients by reassuring them that we are here working for them for better care and assistance from our policy makers. I want our policy makers to hear us and to know we are all just trying to live as normal lives as we can in a healthy and safe environment.

As a board member I will bring fairness and respect to this title. My advocacy skills will be at their best. Never will I speak low, but my voice will echo so that it can be heard all over the world for what I stand for as an ESRD Patient.