The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) headquartered in Lutherville has hired Lydia R. Foxwell as its director of field services-Eastern Shore.
The six-year industry veteran is responsible for fundraising for special events such as Kidney Walk; corporate sponsorship and individual giving; program outreach with community health screenings and speakers bureau; volunteer management, and media/communications.
This past year, Foxwell established the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Maryland Affiliate’s first Eastern Shore 5K Walk/Run and 1-Mile Walk. From 2006-2009, she co-chaired the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Wicomico County.
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A Salisbury University graduate, she holds memberships in the Ocean City Hotel Motel Restaurant Association, Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, Ocean City Downtown Association and Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.
In addition to her fundraising and special event background and deep roots in the Eastern Shore business community, Foxwell brings a unique perspective to NKF-MD.
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On Aug. 15, she donated a kidney to her best friend who, at age 44 was in renal failure from Stage 5 PKD, an inherited kidney disease. Hurley’s grandfather, mother, uncle, sister and two daughters all have been affected.
Since January, Hurley had been on dialysis at Fresenius Medical Care Salisbury and Foxwell “was by her side every step of the way, taking her to appointments, helping with paperwork and just being that ear to listen and pick her up when she was feeling down.”
“I have two wonderful women in my family who work at Fresenius, but when my best friend became a patient there, I acquired a much deeper understanding of what the facility does, the stress and struggles the patient endures: the struggles with insurance, finances, scheduling, transportation, appointments with more doctors than you could ever keep track of and the wait for a transplant,” Foxwell said.
As someone with an “immense passion and desire to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families touched by kidney disease,” Foxwell accompanied Hurley to the kidney transplant class in Easton and was tested to be her living donor.
A couple of weeks later, she received a phone call from the University of Maryland Hospital stating that not only was she a match, but she was a perfect match!
“This young lady is such an awesome, loving and giving person,” said Hurley, who is responding well to the transplant. “I will never be able to thank her enough for the gift of life she gave me.”
Foxwell says she is “so excited to have the opportunity to work for NKF-MD, as the cause is so close to [her] heart.”
“It is wonderful to work for an organization that assists others as they go through similar experiences, and I definitely have a personal connection and motivation,” added Foxwell.
“The opportunity to join an organization that specifically helps the community in this way is amazing, and I am so grateful.”
Serving central and western Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula and portions of West Virginia, the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland is the area’s only voluntary health agency dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of kidney and urinary tract diseases. For more information, visit www.kidneymd.org.