Founder's Bio

In Brief
Lori Hartwell has made a difference in the lives of people with chronic kidney disease. She is the model of living a fulfilling life despite chronic illness. In 1993, Lori - a kidney patient since age two and now with her third kidney transplant - founded the patient-run Renal Support Network to instill "health, happiness, and hope" into the lives of fellow patients.

Lori travels throughout the country educating and inspiring patients and healthcare professionals with her stories, insight, and humor. She is the author of Chronically Happy - Joyful Living in Spite of Chronic Illness. 

Lori has been a guest on radio talk shows nationwide, and her annual Renal Teen Prom she created has enjoyed local broadcast and nationwide cable television coverage. In September 2005, Lori was interviewed by BBC Radio for a show addressing organ donation that will be broadcast worldwide.

She received the "2004 Quality of Life" award from Nephrology News & Issues Magazine and was named "2005 Woman of the Year" by California State Senator Jack Scott.  

Her contributions toward improving the well-being of people with chronic illness continue to be widely recognized. 

When doctors put two-year-old Lori Hartwell on dialysis after her kidneys mysteriously stopped working, they didn't expect her to live. That was the first time she beat seemingly insurmountable odds to survive, and she continues to "one-up" the statistics today.

As a young patient, Ms. Hartwell encountered the pioneering stages of renal replacement therapy. She was the youngest person in the state of California ever to be placed on peritoneal dialysis. Following 12 years on dialysis (both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis) and three kidney transplants―the last of which took place in 1990 and continues to serve her well―Ms. Hartwell has emerged as a powerful illustration of how people with chronic illness can lead complete and productive lives.

The insightful, often humorous, and touching story of how Ms. Hartwell chose to live life rather than succumb to its obstacles is laid out in her book, Chronically Happy - Joyful Living in Spite of Chronic Illness, which chronicles her approach of taking simple, logical steps in order to realize one's dreams. Chronically Happy, published in 2002 by Poetic Media Press (ISBN 0-9722783-0-3), represents the first book written by a kidney patient ever to reach national distribution.

Ms. Hartwell realized one of her most ambitious dreams to date when, in 1993, she founded the Renal Support Network (RSN) to instill "health, happiness, and hope" into the lives of those affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). The influence of this patient-run organization―which started out as a Southern California grassroots effort―now extends across America. RSN's mission is to identify and meet the non-medical needs of people affected by CKD, whether they are in the early stages of the disease, on dialysis, or with a kidney transplant. RSN accomplishes this by providing service, support, and advocacy to patients and their families, and by building coalitions within the renal community.  She has been recognized for her achievements by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson; the Governors of California and Minnesota, Gray Davis and Tim Pawlenty; Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Herb Kohl (WI); and Congressmen James Oberstar (MN), David Obey (WI) and Adam Schiff (CA).

Ms. Hartwell began her career in the renal field as a technical sales specialist for HemaMetrics (formerly In-Line Diagnostics), developers of a hematocrit-controlled hemodialysis technology. She then accepted the position of Western Regional Sales Manager for Medcomp, distributors of vascular access catheters, where she oversaw company activities in seven states. These positions allowed Ms. Hartwell to visit more than 500 freestanding and hospital-based dialysis units in 30 states. As such, she was able to develop a broad-based, multi-faceted view of the U.S. renal patient population, and to witness the importance of a mutual understanding between patients and healthcare providers in the quest for quality care.

Upon leaving the world of sales, Ms. Hartwell became editor of the medical journal Contemporary Dialysis & Nephrology and of the lay journal For Patients Only. Combining this experience with her knowledge of renal disease from both the patient and industry perspectives, Ms. Hartwell established, in 2000, Hartwell Communications, which consults on and creates patient-related educational materials. She wrote and produced "Communication Prescription for the Renal Care Professional," a 60-minute video that shares practical advice, creative communication concepts, and stories of hope from people who live with kidney disease and from veteran renal care professionals. This video―which won a 2001 Aegis Award for its production quality―illustrates the positive impact that renal care professionals can have on people's lives.

Ms. Hartwell travels the country giving motivational and educational presentations to renal healthcare professionals, patients, and industry representatives, both at national nephrology conferences and at the regional/local level.

Ms. Hartwell’s passion lies with giving patients with chronic illness a reason to live and hope for the future. Her battle cry, "An illness is too demanding when you don’t have hope," is presently reverberating throughout the U.S. nephrology community and has manifested itself in the form of the RSN.

Visit www.LoriHartwell.com for more information.