Kicking It In Dialysis: Sneakers as Symbols of Hope and Healing

October 29, 2024

What do sneakers have to do with fighting kidney disease? For Randy Yim, they’re everything. Every time he goes to dialysis, he wears a new pair of his favorite sneakers, takes a photo, and shares the story behind them on social media. What started as a way to cope and update his family and friends has become much more. It’s now a place of community and a way to raise awareness about kidney disease.

A Shocking Diagnosis

In September 2023, Randy noticed that his vision had sharply declined.

“I went to the eye doctor thinking I needed a new eye prescription. They checked my blood pressure and were alarmed by how high it was,” said Randy. “They recommended I seek medical attention. They also referred me to a retina specialist who I saw later that day.”

The retina specialist couldn’t help Randy with his blood pressure so high. They told him to go to his primary caregiver.

“I didn’t have a primary caregiver so it took some time to get an appointment. In mid-October, I got in. They did routine blood work and saw that my kidney numbers were off. I got referred to a kidney specialist and by November 6th I got a call from them with news that I was in kidney failure,” Randy said. “I had to go to the emergency room that day.”

Randy got a catheter placed in his chest to begin emergency dialysis. He also received a fistula for future dialysis treatments in the center.

“In such a short amount of time my entire life turned upside down,” Randy said. “As I learned more about kidney disease, I better understood what had caused it. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017. I was young and thought I had time to reverse it. I didn’t know that not managing it properly could lead to kidney damage, which raised my blood pressure and harmed my kidneys further.”

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With dialysis sessions lasting four hours, three days a week, adjusting to kidney failure can be challenging. At first, Randy struggled to adapt.

“Dialysis days are tough. Some days my blood pressure completely drops. There are days where I need to be wheelchaired out of the clinic,” Randy said. “I needed an outlet. I also needed a way to share my updates with friends and family. I’m happy to share but I didn’t want them to feel bad for me. I didn’t want all our conversations about my health.”

An idea sparked.

“I love sneakers. Growing up, I didn’t have the money to buy the pairs I wanted. Now I’m in a better position and have a collection. I love purchasing the re-release of older designs that came out when I was younger,” Randy said. “I don’t wear them often to keep them in good shape.”

Randy decided that dialysis was the perfect time to show them off.

“It’s dry in dialysis, and I won’t wear the treads down since I’m sitting. Now, I take joy in picking out a pair to wear to my treatments. I take a photo, write the story behind them, and share any updates, like when I was approved for the transplant list,” said Randy. “This releases a weight from myself and my friends. When I see them, we can talk about normal life.”

This decision also led to an unexpected surprise.

“A large sneaker social media account shared one of my Instagram posts on their page. It blew up and the outpour of support from the kidney community has been incredibly empowering,” Randy said. “My wife and my family are my biggest supporters. They’ve been by my side every step of the way but talking to people who have kidney disease is a different experience. They understand on a different level.”

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Educating Others

Sharing his story has also opened doors for Randy than he ever could have imagined.

“A local wing restaurant asked if I’d like to do a fundraiser with them. I’m of Cambodian descent, so we collaborated to create a Cambodian-inspired wing,” Randy said. “On the night of the fundraiser, all the profits from this wing flavor went to the kidney center where I get dialysis.”

People have also stopped him in person to cheer him on and wish him luck.

“It’s been so cool to meet people I never would have met had this not happened to me,”  said Randy. “Hearing all these stories and meeting others whose lives have been affected by kidney disease makes me want to be an advocate. It makes me want to do more, to share education, and encourage others to go to the doctors regularly.”

Randy knows firsthand how hard it can be to get medical care.

“I didn’t have the means to go to the doctor when I was young. I was terrified to go as an adult. I’m still working through it. I’m thankful to my wife and support system who’ve helped me through this,” Randy said. “I know learning more about a diagnosis is scary but it’s important to embrace the reality to make the health decisions possible. It takes time to build confidence and work through the fear so go slow and lean on your support group.”

Randy hopes that others reading his story take this leap of faith with him.

“It takes a lot of courage to share your health issues with just your friends. It’s even harder to do it on a larger platform like social media. But sharing my story and seeing how responsive and supportive complete strangers are boosts my morale. It gives me hope,” said Randy. “A great place to start is NKF’s social media pages. It’s where I learn the most about kidney disease and is a great place to find a community of people who understand what you’re dealing with.”

Learn more and find your NKF community.