The Kidney Collective

Mike and Tamara are joined by Ellie Kugler, an AKF Ambassador, Kidney Health Coach and bodybuilder who is living with Alport syndrome and lupus. Ellie talks about the difficulty she faced getting a diagnosis and how the relatively new understanding of Alport syndrome—along with misconceptions about who it can affect—played a role. Ellie describes how she started educating herself and others about...

Mike and Tamara talk with Della Major, an AKF Ambassador, Kidney Health Coach, teacher and life coach who is living with lupus nephritis. As a self-proclaimed “squawker”, Della is practiced in sharing her story of learning about both kidney disease and lupus while navigating the grief associated with this change in her health. She describes her initial resistance to starting dialysis, but how an e...

Tamara and Mike are joined by Marc Coronel, the founder of Lifestyle Athletics, a former amateur professional boxer and a TEDx speaker . He is living with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) — a rare type of kidney disease that causes scarring on the glomeruli (the filters in your kidneys) — and is a kidney transplant recipient. The three talk about how surprised he was to learn he had kidne...

Tamara Walker joins Tamara and Mike for a conversation about polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic condition that causes many cysts to grow inside your kidneys and can lead to kidney failure. Tamara shares how she was surprisingly diagnosed by her OBGYN after giving birth to her second son, the challenges she experienced with insurance coverage and how PKD factored into the difficult decision...

Malkia White, an AKF Ambassador and member of AKF's Rare Kidney Disease Action Network (RKDAN), joins this episode of The Kidney Collective™ to talk about her journey living with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Malkia shares how she was diagnosed with "Berger's disease" (what IgAN was previously called) as a child but did not understand her disease until adulthood. After learning she w...

In honor of APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) Awareness Day, this special episode of The Kidney Collective ™ features a conversation between AKF President and CEO LaVarne A. Burton and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning. After they discuss the Miami Heat’s impressive showing on March 10, the two discuss his journey with kidney disease. They talk about how he pushed through symptoms to win...

The Kidney Collective™ co-hosts Tamara Ruggiero and Mike Spigler are joined by Vincent Ko, founder of KidneyFuture (formerly the CAKUT Foundation), to discuss congenital abnormalities of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT). As a parent of a child living with CAKUT, Vincent shares how he felt learning about his daughter's diagnosis before she was even born and how he has used his personal ex...

AKF President and CEO LaVarne Burton kicks off the first episode of The Kidney Collective™ 's new season, "Rare Voices, Relatable Stories," with a conversation with Donna Cryer, founder of the Global Liver Institute , a global nonprofit patient advocacy organization. Donna lives with a rare autoimmune liver disease, received a liver transplant more than 30 years ago and has stage 3...

Our second season of The Kidney Collective™ features conversations about rare kidney diseases and the shared experiences that connect the entire kidney community. Watch the teaser for a sneak preview of what’s ahead in 2026!

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike chat with living kidney donor Marnisha Mintlow about her decision to donate her kidney, her surgery and recovery, the barriers and fears that may prevent people from becoming donors, and the importance of more transparency around the kidney donation process. Marnisha emphasizes the need for more support and advocacy for living donor right...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike talk with Leigh-Ann Williams about her dialysis journey—from in-center to home dialysis. They discuss the benefits of home dialysis, including the more flexible schedule, shorter treatment times and reduced fluid restrictions compared to in-center dialysis. Leigh-Ann also describes some of the challenges of home dialysis, from space for s...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike talk with Robert “Buzz” Buchanan about his experience living with type 2 diabetes and stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and their shared love of Jimmy Buffett. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 1998 and has managed his CKD for over 10 years, keeping it from progressing to kidney failure. In the face of the unique physical and mental ch...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike chat with Mary-Beth Roberts, a pediatric and adult genetic counselor, about the role of genetic counselors, the importance of genetic testing in kidney disease, and the impact of genetic information on patients' treatment plans. Mary-Beth shares insights on the APOL1 gene variants, the process of genetic testing, facing barriers and...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike welcome Emmitt Henderson III, a passionate advocate for lupus awareness. Emmitt discusses his personal journey with lupus and kidney disease, the challenges he faced, and the importance of prioritizing mental health and seeking support. He dives into the creation of his nonprofit organization, Male Lupus Warriors, recounts his experience...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , Tamara and Mike speak with AKF Ambassador , Nichole Jefferson, about her kidney disease diagnosis, experiences with dialysis and transplant, the importance of seeking answers about your physical health, and how to take care of your mental and emotional health. Mike and Tamara also find out that contrary to our preliminary research, Nichole is NOT a Dalla...

Welcome to The Kidney Collective™ , American Kidney Fund’s limited series featuring unscripted conversations with someone who shares their journey—from what it's like to crash into dialysis to becoming a living donor.  Whether you're living with kidney disease yourself or caring for someone who is, join us for a personal look at what life is like in The Kidney Collective and come away wi...

In this episode of The Kidney Collective™ , hosts Tamara Ruggiero and Mike Spigler speak with Alex Simmons, a kidney transplant recipient and fitness instructor, about his unexpected journey with kidney disease. Alex shares his experiences from diagnosis to dialysis, the challenges he faced, and the importance of raising awareness about kidney health.  Alex Simmons is an athlete, fitness instructo...