I started this foundation because I knew I wasn’t the only one struggling with both kidney disease and my mental health.
My kidney story began when I was 26 years old, sitting in an emergency room, learning that my kidneys were failing because of a rare disease called IgA Nephropathy. I remember feeling small in that moment. Scared. Overwhelmed. Handed a diagnosis that sounded final, yet somehow explained very little.
From the very beginning, uncertainty became part of my daily life. It followed me home. It sat with me in waiting rooms. It crept in during quiet moments I used to trust.
What would treatment look like?
What would my future look like?
Was I going to die?
Waiting became its own kind of condition. As I was thrown into navigating kidney failure, life narrowed around labs, symptoms, appointments, and constant vigilance. Every test result felt heavy. Every phone call had the power to change everything. Even on “good” days, my body and mind stayed on alert. I lived with the constant fear of what might come next.
When I received a transplant, I believed my mental health would finally catch up. I thought freedom, gratitude, and a second chance at life would somehow erase the anxiety and depression I carried with me. It didn't.
Over time, one truth became impossible to ignore. Mental health is not separate from kidney disease. It is a part of living with kidney disease. Uncertainty, loss of control, and repeated emotional stress that accumulates quietly over years. That weight does not disappear just because lab numbers improve or you get a transplant. Yet so many kidney patients are left without mental health care that understands this reality.
Support is limited, difficult to access, or disconnected from the lived experience of kidney disease. We are expected to manage fear, trauma, grief, and identity shifts on our own, while navigating a life-altering medical condition.
I started the Mental Health Kidney Foundation to change that. This foundation exists to close the gap in accessible, kidney-informed mental health care. To make emotional well-being an essential part of kidney care from diagnosis through transplant and beyond.
Elle xo
Blank
Christina (they/she), LCSW, MSW is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience in community mental health, trauma-informed care, and therapeutic training. They bring both professional expertise and lived experience to their work, fostering spaces of compassion, authenticity, and connection. Christina is trained in a range of evidence-based practices, including CBT, DBT, CPT, and Prolonged Exposure, and is a certified Trainer Consultant in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), their approach emphasizes self-compassion, resilience, and meaningful connection, values deeply aligned with MHKF’s mission to support the mental health of people living with kidney disease.
Annie is a student services professional with over a decade of leadership experience in cross-cultural engagement and mental health advocacy. Currently at Irvine Valley College’s International Student Center, she supports students from diverse backgrounds while promoting mental well-being and inclusion. A former member of the AANHPI Committee and fluent in Hmong, Annie brings a culturally responsive approach to her work, especially for underserved communities. Her values of empathy, inclusion, and service align closely with the mission of the Mental Health Kidney Foundation.
