fbpx

RSN's Annual Essay Contest

The 21st Annual Essay Contest Theme Will Be Announced in May 2023. Sign up for announcements and reminders here: Sign Up for Reminders and Announcements

This year the theme is “Surviving Tough Times: Share a strategy you have used to cope with kidney disease.”

We are pleased to announce the theme of our 20th Annual Essay Contest. This year it’s all about “Surviving Tough Times, sharing a strategy that helps cope with kidney disease.” The annual contest provides an opportunity for those who live with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to tell their story.

The essay contest is open to all people in the United States who have been diagnosed with kidney disease, on dialysis or who has had a kidney transplant. For submissions to be accepted, they must be typed and not exceed 750 words.

Lori Hartwell, founder and president of RSN, says, “Managing all the emotions that accompany kidney disease is daunting. Learning how to cope with its challenges is key to thriving despite this illness. We want to share kidney warrior strategies so that others may benefit from them. We look forward to reading all of the courageous stories.”

Contest winners will receive cash prizes: First Place, $500; Second Place, $300; and Third Place, $100. The submission deadline is August 10, 2022. Winners will be announced on the week of September 25, 2022, and winning essays will be featured in RSN’s publication KidneyTalk™ Magazine and on RSNHope.org.

All entries must be postmarked or received by 12:00 PM (PT) on August 10, 2022.

This year the theme, “Who is Your Healthcare Hero?” is all about the champions on your medical care team.

“Facing the reality of living with kidney disease is hard,” says Lori Hartwell, President and Founder of RSN, “and learning how to manage your care can be challenging. No one can do this alone. We received close to 100 essays from people across the United States writing about how their healthcare providers became their heroes while leading them on the journey of managing their health. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their personal story. It was tough to choose our winners, because in this time of the coronavirus, all healthcare providers are heroes.”

This year’s first place winner, Abigail Clary, says, “The RSN Essay Contest provides a much-needed platform for individuals with kidney disease to share their stories and connect through writing. It takes a team to fight kidney disease, and I love that this year’s topic provided the chance to honor the healthcare workers who do so much for us.” 

Read and Listen to the Winning Essay of the 20th Annual Essay Contest:

The theme of 20th annual essay contest was “Surviving Tough Times, sharing a strategy that helps cope with kidney disease.” — inspired people who have kidney disease to share their experiences and how they learned to cope with the illness. The contest is open to anyone in the United States who has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

We congratulate our 1ST – 4TH place winners, 2 President’s Picks, and 12 Honorable Mentions who shared their strategies to survive and thrive with this illness.

“It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been 20 years since we hosted the first essay contest,” says Lori Hartwell, President and Founder of RSN. “Every year I have the privilege of reading my peers’ amazing stories. These stories are the fuel that drives hope for people who have kidney disease. Seeing my peers overcome such incredible adversity makes me determined to persevere. Don’t miss this opportunity to read their words of wisdom.”

This is what Brings Me Joy, 1st Place Winning Essay, 20th Annual Essay Contest

“I can’t tell if you are this happy all the time or if you are just faking it.” Lost in the mix of busy...

Laughter Through Tears, 2nd Place Winning Essay, 20th Annual Essay Contest

As he accepted The Mark Twain award, Jon Stewart said, “Comedy survives every moment.” It has been scientifically proven that laughter and smiling lowers...

Kidney Troubles, 3rd Place Winning Essay, 20th Annual Essay Contest

I have kidney troubles.  At 3 years old, that was my declaration to my nephrologist as to why I had come to the clinic that...

Call Me Gumby, 4th Place Winning Essay, 20th Annual Essay Contest

It’s not far-fetched to say things have been difficult recently. In fact, it’s hard to recall “how things used to be!” Coping strategies have...

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, President’s Pick, 20th Annual Essay Contest

As I am led into the dialysis clinic, my temperature is taken and I begin breathing slowly in and out, counting to 10, and...

Choosing Hope, President’s Pick, 20th Annual Essay Contest

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.” - Emily...

Love for Literature and Pop Culture, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

I was born imperfect, on the cold midwinter’s day. It was February 21 of 1996, when I came “squaloring” out of my mother’s womb,...

Surviving CKD and the Hundred Acre Wood, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

For the past five years life has basically consisted of four daily peritoneal home dialysis treatments. Thankfully, as a photographer, I was able to...

Blessings, Questions, Dreams, and Imagination, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

“Do you see the cloud elephant?” asked Mom. I looked up at the billowing clouds, studying each. Finally, I noticed one shaped like an...

Let the Truth Be Told, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

Remember the song by Bobby Womack, “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down and Out”? He said he used to be a millionaire. I could...

It’s Called ‘The Reframe’, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

It's been 30 years since hearing those words rocking my world and changing it forever.  Words throwing me into a fear of the unknown.  Words delivered...

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay...

I was a retired bakery owner and professional chef when I got the news that I had chronic kidney disease. I knew for several...

Forging Ahead, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease, or CKD, in 2014. I immediately changed my diet to delay my descent into Stage...

The Practice of Mindfulness, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

When I tell my story about my end-stage renal disease (ESRD) I often talk of my kidneys and being in counseling. We were in...

Living My Life on My Terms, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

Living with chronic kidney disease has been really challenging, but since I have been doing it for so long it has just become second...

Still Running My Race, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a 56-year-old African American male from Cleveland, Ohio. My favorite home teams are...

Tenderly Caring for Myself, Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

“Are you okay?” my aunt asked me this in a text after deep-diving through my Instagram posts. I realized I’d never quite known how...

Keep Persevering , Honorable Mention, 20th Annual Essay Contest

I am 16 years old, and in November of 2021, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. It came out of nowhere, and there...

Read and Listen to the Winning Essay of the 19th Annual Essay Contest:

Tina’s Gift, 1st Place Winner, 19th Annual Essay Contest

The pediatric lab services station at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) did not always have its own home. Sometimes it was...

Ode to Nurse Mary the Pirate, 2nd Place Winner, 19th Annual Essay Contest

When my kids were little, in a different place and time, we watched Veggie Tales every day. These days my kids have marooned me...

Dialysis Wonder Woman, 3rd Place Winning Essay (Tie) 19th Annual Essay Contest

I am not a perfect patient. When I first began dialysis, I missed treatments, and not always accidentally. As I progressed in my journey...

24K Magic, 3rd Place Winning Essay (Tie) 19th Annual Essay Contest

Tap, tap, tap! The doctor kept tapping on my forehead. “Is it over yet?” I asked as he kept tapping. “Don’t think about it,” he stated...

Tabitha Taught Me to Live, Not Just Survive, President’s Pick, 19th Annual Essay Contest

In March 2019, a door slammed shut. I found myself in the intensive care unit of my local hospital, dazed, in pain, and begging...

My Doctor, My Protector, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

“Mom, will it hurt?” These were the first words that came out of my mouth the day after my kidneys completely stopped working. The day after I...

Head and Shoulders Above the Rest, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

When I embarked upon my dialysis journey, I was not a willing participant. I had been diagnosed with stage 4 chronic kidney disease in...

Heroes Come in Many Different Forms, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

When I was a child, I told myself that 32 was going to be a year in which something magical happened. I didn’t know...

Hornets and the Rose-colored Stethoscope, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

… I couldn’t believe it. I was numb as I rose from the conference table and headed toward the inner sanctum of the dialysis...

Human, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

Writing this essay is an exercise in gratitude. My kidneys failed 12 years ago so I have had all types of challenges. I know...

Dr. K, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

April 5, 1998, is not a day that you’ll read about in history books many years from now. It is a day I will...

Brighter Skies, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, I pass through an empty lobby and walk directly to the white door. After firmly pressing the silver...

Lucky, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

Wow, what a great theme to write an essay about. Unfortunately, with our overburdened healthcare professionals also suffering from the COVID-19 virus both mentally...

Hope, Honorable Mention, 19th Annual Essay Contest

To answer the question, “Who is your Healthcare Hero,” I had to take a sobering look at what the word ‘hero’ truly means to...

You Saved My Life, and For That I Am Grateful, 19th Annual Essay Contest

I was born and raised in the small town of Blythe, California. In recent years my life forever changed as I was sadly diagnosed...

The Day My Life Got Interesting, 19th Annual Essay Contest

“Is your blood pressure always this high?” asked Dr. Craven. Every day since turning 35, headaches followed me to bed. There was no need for...

Nurse Judy, 19th Annual Essay Contest

Nurse Judy loves me and my mom, but we are not related to her. We did not know her until my kidney problem became...

Thanks to Our 2023 Corporate Partners

Gold

FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE

Silver

SPONSOR-LOGO-AKEBIA
U.S. Renal Care