Contributions to site are made by permission of certified industry professionals
Join us in the fight against kidney disease today and explore various dialysis options while becoming a kidney advocate. Together, we can provide essential kidney patient support and promote the importance of living kidney donation.
Nephro Warriors is an emerging grassroots voice building into a powerhouse for renal advocacy. We aim to move patients from isolation to impact through our developing Social Support Solution, featuring the Battle Buddies and veteran-led Nephro Corps initiatives. We believe no one should battle alone.
Nephro Warriors was born from a profound personal experience related to kidney disease. My Father passed away in October 2018 from kidney failure, and in October 2024, I was diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) after a visit to my optometrist due to negative changes in my eyesight. During the appointment, my optometrist compassionately urged me to go to the emergency room after discovering my blood pressure was sky-high and there was severe hemorrhaging in the back of my eyes.
Three years prior, I had suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, due to inadequate care from overwhelmed HMO doctors, I fell through the cracks, leading to a failure to monitor my kidney function properly. This lack of timely follow-ups resulted in my condition going undiagnosed and untreated for far too long. I began dialysis just three days after being admitted to the hospital from the ER.
After being discharged for in-center dialysis, I was informed that peritoneal dialysis was my best option. The details of this process were not thoroughly explained, and I lacked the knowledge to ask the right questions. It wasn’t until after my first surgery to insert a PD catheter that one of my doctors expressed concerns about how the PD process might impact my diabetes treatment. It was only then that I learned about the NxStage option within the home dialysis modality.
Now, I perform Home Hemodialysis five days a week, thanks to the guidance of an incredible technician who has become a personal friend. This training provided my wife and me with a better understanding of the dialysis process and the implications of being a kidney patient.
We aim to provide a forum that focuses on advocacy for kidney disease patients and highlights the extreme need for living kidney donation. Our goal is to dispel common misconceptions about dialysis options, including its different modalities and methods, as well as the lifestyle considerations that kidney patients, care partners, and loved ones must navigate to make informed decisions regarding their care. Additionally, we plan to offer a supportive space for individuals to connect, exchange information, and share experiences in a caring and non-judgmental environment centered on positivity, support, and community action for the benefit of all. We believe there is a troubling lack of attention given to kidney disease, despite the fact that an estimated 35 million people suffer from some form of the disease—almost 1 in 7 adults. In light of these staggering numbers, we seek to increase awareness and foster more support for research and development of treatments, and ultimately, a cure.
Update: February 20
By: Patrick Colson, Founder & President
Just over a year ago, my life changed forever when I began dialysis. I didn’t know then that this journey would lead to the birth of Nephro Warriors. Today, I want to pull back the curtain and share the massive progress we’ve made over the last 12 months as we transition from a grassroots idea to a fully-realized advocacy force.
National Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships
Beyond the local level, we have expanded our reach into national leadership. We am proud to serve as a Patient Ambassador with the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the oldest and largest independent kidney patient organization in the U.S. Furthermore, my wife Cortney and I have officially joined forces as an Advocacy Team with NxStage/Fresenius, specifically championing the education and empowerment of home dialysis patients. These roles allow Nephro Warriors to influence the national conversation while bringing the latest clinical breakthroughs directly back to our community.
Navigating the "Front Lines" (UCI & UCSD)
I have spent this past year as a "student of the system." I am currently navigating the rigorous transplant evaluation processes at both UCI Health and UCSD Health. I am proud to share that I have officially received Clinical Clearance from the UCI Kidney Transplant Committee—a major milestone that proves our "Warrior" approach to health discipline works.
The "Clinical Wall of Authority"
While I am testing the waters at the transplant centers, I have been building a powerhouse of medical intelligence behind the scenes. We have secured formal support and guidance from a network of specialists primarily within the Hoag Hospital System, as well as experts from Memorial Care. This means our programs aren't just based on my experience; they are vetted by the best nephrologists, cardiologists, and vascular surgeons in Southern California. We have the "boots on the ground" experience at the hospitals and the "high-level intelligence" from the clinics.
The Blueprint: Nephro Corps & Battle Buddies
In this first year, we didn’t just talk—we researched. We’ve used this time to finalize the frameworks for our two flagship initiatives:
What’s Next: Fiscal Sponsorship & Growth
We are currently in the process of securing Model A Fiscal Sponsorship through organizations like OneOC. This will give us the institutional backbone (501c3 status, legal oversight, and professional accounting) to take our mission national. We are also in the "Coalition Building" phase, reaching out to established leaders like the Enlisted Kidney Foundation to ensure we are working as a unified force for our veterans.
A Year of Wisdom
I’ve only been on this road for a year, but I’ve spent every hour of that year reaching out, gathering feedback from nurses, social workers, and technicians, and refining our strategy. We are grassroots but we are hungry, we want a seat at the table and most importantly, we are ready to bring a voice to the conversation.
Thank you for standing with us. The mission continues.
— Patrick Colson
The definitive guide to our mission: Access the official Nephro Warriors Press Kit for a deep dive into our history, our 'Warrior' narrative, and our vision for the renal community
Explore the Nephro Warriors Media Hub for a curated collection of educational tutorials and motivational videos designed to empower our community.
Define the fight with our official mission statement and strategic roadmap for the renal and veteran communities. This section outlines our core objectives and the tactical path forward for the Battle Buddies and Nephro Corps initiatives
Visualize the fight: Our infographic section translates complex renal data and veteran statistics into clear, actionable intelligence for our partners and the community.
The Command Team & Field Validations: A deep dive into the leadership driving the fight and the high-level endorsements from the clinical experts who support our mission.
Equip your outreach with the official Brand Kit—your source for high-quality logos and visual assets that define the look and feel of the Nephro Warriors movement.
.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
This is where you will find dates and locations for appearances, pictures and videos as well as links to interviews and podcasts that Nephro Warriors appears on.
Nephro Warriors did a profile segment for the Enlisted Kidney Foundation. Final production is nearing completion as we have been told and the link will be posted here once it is live.
Compensatory hypertrophy is the enlargement and increased function of the remaining kidney after a kidney donation. This process is a natural adaptation that occurs when one kidney is removed, allowing the remaining kidney to compensate for the loss and maintain overall kidney function. In healthy kidney donors, this compensatory growth is typically observed.