Living Life Fully—Kinsey's Journey to Home Hemodialysis

At just 8 months old, now 21-year-old Kinsey Bogart began her dialysis journey in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Working closely with her care team, Kinsey's mom, Holly was trained on home peritoneal dialysis — allowing them to return home and begin treatment for Kinsey.

For over 11 years, Kinsey thrived on home peritoneal dialysis, supported by her mom every step of the way. After an unsuccessful transplant at age 12, Kinsey transitioned to in-center dialysis for a time. Still, Holly remained determined to find a more flexible dialysis option for Kinsey.

After being in-center, Kinsey and Holly knew the freedom of home treatment would be a better fit. So, they began training with her care team for a new kind of journey together — home hemodialysis.

The switch has made a real difference in Kinsey’s day-to-day life. Being able to do dialysis at home has Kinsey feeling better, getting more sleep, relaxing more, and finding time to do what she loves most.

“Now that we're on home dialysis, it seems for her to be more of an even dialysis, and she's feeling much better with the home dialysis. She can sleep in a little bit later; she gets to be in the comfort of her home and just relax,” explains Holly.

With newfound flexibility, Kinsey has more time for the things that bring her joy — like traveling and spending time with friends.

“One of my best friends lives in Chicago, actually. So, we're going to try and go there, plan a trip there. Crazy to say,” says Kinsey.

Kinsey also loves art and finds creativity to be a powerful coping tool. Whether she’s coloring, singing, or dancing, expressing herself through art has helped her stay positive through treatment and gives her an activity to look forward to every day.

“She loves to color and sing and dance, and she loves, you know, just to live life. She's happy and she makes the most of every day,” says Holly.

With her mom's continued support, Kinsey is thriving on home hemodialysis and feeling better than ever. While the journey hasn't been easy, Holly is grateful for the role dialysis has played in her daughter's life. Both she and Kinsey see it as a life-saving treatment — one that has made it possible for Kinsey to live a full, joyful life.

“If it wasn't for dialysis my daughter wouldn't be here,” says Holly. “She was 8 months old when she started the journey and now, she's 21. It can be done. They can live wonderful, great lives.”