INSPIRING STORIES

Judy Perry and Karen Gutman have always been more than cousins. Just five weeks apart in age, they grew up side by side, spending weekends together, sharing family traditions, and forming a bond they describe as “Custers,” cousins who are like sisters. When Judy’s kidney health declined after decades of challenges, that lifelong connection became […]

Mike first got involved with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan after his diagnosis, participating in Kidney Walks at the Detroit Zoo. In 2025, Liz organized a team through her workplace, Auto-Owners Insurance, which chose the NKFM as their annual give-back recipient.

After three transplants, countless hospital stays, and years of dialysis, Mike and Liz Chicalas continue navigating kidney disease together, with love, grit, and the support of their community.

Rory, a 2025 NKFM Scholarship recipient, has spent much of his life navigating chronic kidney disease while staying focused on helping others. Turning 26 this April and living in Sterling Heights, Rory recently celebrated a major milestone: graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Diagnosed with stage 4 chronic kidney disease when he was […]

In January of 2010, Charlotte Hagerman of Lansing made a life-changing decision that gave her friend Charles a second chance at life: she donated her kidney. At the time, doctors said her kidney might give him five good years, but more than 15 years later, that kidney is still going strong.

University of Michigan student Erin Turner, who lives with chronic kidney disease, reflects on her kidney journey and how an NKFM scholarship helped her pursue her dreams.

Brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Karen Sak loves to share her impressions of the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan’s High Blood Pressure Control and Kidney PATH workshops that she attended in-person at her local senior center.

Siblings Justin and Erica Bazman have been doing the Michigan Kidney Walk at the Detroit Zoo every year since 2017 in honor of their mom, Debi. Debi lost her battle with kidney disease in June 2013.