“I CHOOSE TO MAKE 
THE MOST OUT OF LIFE, 
AND NOW I’M ASKING YOU
TO HELP OTHERS DO
THE SAME. ”

When I was 15, I was told I carried a faulty gene that runs in my family. It’s called Familial Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FFSGS). In simple terms: it can cause kidney disease. No one knew if or when it would catch up with me. It did. 

At 24, my kidneys stopped coping and life changed overnight. I went from being a young mum juggling work and school runs to organising my days around dialysis - first peritoneal, then home haemodialysis. Four nights a week, four hours a night. 

I won’t pretend it was easy. But I also won’t call dialysis the enemy. 

Dialysis kept me here. It gave me time with my son. It let me keep working. It gave me the chance to wait for a transplant. 

In 2019, just before midnight, I got the call: a deceased donor kidney was available, and I needed to be at the hospital within three hours. I was grateful but the journey that followed wasn’t easy. For weeks, the kidney struggled to wake up, and since then I’ve faced a few rejection scares. But six years on, I’m here - living a full, active, and grateful life. I go to boot camps, hike, ride motorbikes, run a business, and try as many new things as I can. Every day. 

I choose to make the most of this life and this opportunity, not just for me, but to honour my donor. 

I first heard about the Kidney Society through a magazine I was given when I started peritoneal dialysis. Not long after, the Kidney Society reached out, and that’s when I met the Community Health Educator, Brian. Brian would visit me every six months or so, and gave me information about home dialysis training, shared valuable resources and and just to sit, chat, and see how I was really doing. Even between visits, I’d get their magazines in the mail. I’d read the stories, the updates, and that’s how I began to really understand who the Kidney Society was and what they did. 

Because of a stranger’s generosity, I got time back. Your generosity can give someone else their life back. A couple of years ago, the CEO called and asked if I’d consider joining the Board. I was too busy at the time, but said I’d love to the following year. Now, I’m the Board Chair - and it feels right. It aligns with my passion and my long-term goal of making a real impact in healthcare and one day building a hospital. 

Today, I’m proud to chair a focused, values‑driven Board. We’ve got a clear vision: supporting more people, and in more places. 

I truly believe in our mission. 

We’re the only organisation dedicated to supporting people with kidney disease with things like how to navigate finances, emotional wellbeing, and exercise that’s safe for their individual needs. Without the Kidney Society, there would be a gap that hospitals can’t fill as funding and resources only go so far. 

We pride ourselves in providing the support we do and when someone has a question or a problem, we don’t say, “We don’t know.” We say, “Let us find out.” We connect them with the right people, the right answers, and the right support networks.

Across Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and the Lakes, more than 3,000 people a year turn to the Kidney Society. 

Your donation helps to fund: 

• Wrap‑around support: health education, social work, and wellness education for clients and their whānau.
• Community dialysis houses: warm, homely spaces where people can dialyse closer to where they live and love.
• Practical advocacy: help with forms, entitlements, transport, and the everyday barriers that make a hard season harder.
• Culturally responsive care: clear information and support so people understand their options and can choose what’s right for them. 

Those dialysis houses are close to my heart. They’ve enabled 235+ people to dialyse independently, stay in work, and keep life moving. They’ve also saved taxpayers an estimated $130 million over 20+ years because home‑style dialysis costs much less . 

1 in 10 people have a kidney condition and we want to support every single one of them. We’re only just getting started. With more support, we can: 

• Increase our capacity, so we can reach and care for more clients in need.
• Expand the regions we serve, to ensure we can support as many people across Aotearoa as possible.
• Build more community houses in rural areas, so people on dialysis don’t have to travel long distances for care and support. 

The support we provide is practical, proven, and personal. I’ve lived the difference it makes. 

On behalf of the Kidney Society team, thank you for your support and care. 

You are truly making a difference for people living with kidney disease. Thank you for standing with me in my call to help give them the best life possible. 

With gratitude, 

Chantelle Good 
Board Chair, Kidney Society (and proud Kidney Society client)