Hey there, Benny here! I’m incredibly excited to announce the formation of Critter Collective Against Kidney Disease, a small (for now) advocacy group with the goal of providing community, support, and resources for folks in the furry and LGBTQIA+ communities who are either living with chronic kidney disease, or have someone close to them who is living with it.
I was diagnosed with CKD in 2021; particularly FSGS (focal segmental glumerosclerosis), which is scarring of the filters in the kidneys. At first, things seemed fine; just an extra medication or few to take and keeping a closer eye on my nutrition. However, come 2026, my kidney function plummeted to the point where I needed to start dialysis.
Throughout this whole experience, I’ve been incredibly lucky and blessed to have a group of friends who were there for me along the way (many who offered their own kidney, and even one being a match!), and an incredible care team of medical professionals who worked tirelessly to make sure I was up and running properly. I owe the world and more to these people.
Even so, I didn’t know a lot of other people who were going through what I went through, and that can feel isolating. As I thought about it more, I realized that there’s a lot of folks in the community who were going through what I was going through, but didn’t have the network and resources that I did. That’s why I’m starting CCAKD.
We have a good bit of work to do and I can’t fight this battle alone, which is why I’m reaching out to say we need some good folks on our leadership team! Before we can do things like…
- Host panels at cons both to build community and spread awareness about chronic kidney disease
- Hold fundraisers through local and online events to raise money for charities and chronic kidney disease research
- Maintain a staff of volunteers who have experienced CKD in one way or another with the purpose of connecting with folks in our community with resources or interested donors, and also have a hotline for those suffering from CKD who simply need a shoulder to cry on
- …and so much more
…we need a lot more folks to help run the show and get CCAKD off of the ground! We’re looking for our next:
- Vice President. I’m looking for a partner in crime and close advisor. We’re looking for someone who has executive or leadership experience in non-profit and/or charity organizations.
- Operations Chair. Helps with the nitty-gritty business side of things: accounting & finances, maintaining staff/volunteer databases, assisting with IT matters, etc.
Events Chair. In charge of setting up panels at cons and local awareness events, coordinate with volunteers outside of CCAKD’s home base (we’re based in Raleigh, NC) to hold events in other states and regions, and so on.- Discord & Forum Moderator(s). We need more folks to help maintain our community online!
If any of these positions interest you, or you have an idea of how else you can help, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/GRwdwZpbRjxSfash7
Thank you for giving us a chance to help. We have a lot work to do and lives to touch, and we can’t do that without you.
Benny
