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An estimated 30 Million Americans are living with kidney disease – that’s 1 in every 9 people according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Kidney disease often has no symptoms in its early stages and therefore remains undetected until it has reached an advanced stage, devastating patients and their families physically, emotionally and financially.

The final stage of the disease – kidney failure – leaves patients with just two options. Nationally, 70 percent of patients with kidney failure are on life-sustaining dialysis, while the rest survive by receiving a kidney transplant.

Kidney disease is more prevalent among low-income people; additionally, people of African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease.

The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) consists of community groups and advocates, health professionals, and businesses from across Illinois banding together to educate the public about the challenges faced by those with kidney disease. In Illinois alone, it is estimated that more than 30,000 people suffer from kidney failure. We are here to tell their story. For more information, visit our website.