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Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: News Articles => Topic started by: okarol on August 17, 2007, 10:19:40 PM

Title: Kidney Patient Returns To St. Louis To Host Convention, USA
Post by: okarol on August 17, 2007, 10:19:40 PM

Kidney Patient Returns To St. Louis To Host Convention, USA

17 Aug 2007   

Two-time kidney transplant patient and President of the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), Roberta Wager, RN, MSN, is returning home to St. Louis, MO, to host the AAKP 34th Annual Convention. The AAKP Annual Convention is the largest Convention of its kind where renal patients and professionals from across the country gather for educational sessions and social events.

At just 30 days old, doctors diagnosed Wager with pyelonephritis, a urinary tract infection that progressed to her kidneys. Years later, in 1982, she began dialysis. The following year, her brother Bill Houck, a teacher in St. Louis, donated one of his kidneys to his sister. The kidney began to fail in the mid 90s. Wager's husband, Rob, also from St. Louis, donated one of his kidneys to her in 1998.

Wager is now a registered nurse working as a kidney patient educator with Fresenius Medical Care in San Antonio, TX. She is also the newly elected President of AAKP. "Having been a kidney disease patient most of my life, it is an honor to work with an organization that is dedicated to helping patients like myself, live the best life possible", says Wager. "It is also exciting to bring our National Convention to my hometown. St. Louis is a great place and I've received a great deal of support from the area over the years."

The 34th Annual AAKP Convention is taking place Aug.30 - Sept. 2, at the Adam's Mark Hotel St. Louis. More than 500 renal patients and professionals from across the nation are expected to attend. One-day registration packages are still available for only $25 for patient/family members and $50 for renal professionals. The entire Convention registration package is only $95 for patients/family members and $199 for renal professionals and includes four days of educational sessions, meals and tickets to special events.

For more information about the AAKP Convention, call AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP. You can download a copy of the registration brochure online from the AAKP Web site, http://www.aakp.org.

AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for more than 35 years, has been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances, and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities.

http://www.aakp.org

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79834.php

Title: Re: Kidney Patient Returns To St. Louis To Host Convention, USA
Post by: kitkatz on August 18, 2007, 09:22:08 AM

Not a bad price for a convention for the patients and family.  I would like to go, but finances make a trip like that impossible right now.