Alonzo Mourning Shares His Journey to Raise Awareness for Kidney Disease

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With 1 in 7 adults expected to develop kidney disease in their lifetime, the need for early detection, education, and innovation in kidney care has never been greater. Launching during Kidney Week, Mediaplanet's Kidney Healthcampaign unites leading experts, patient advocates, and healthcare innovators to raise awareness about the growing burden of kidney disease — and to spotlight solutions that can save lives.

The campaign addresses the full spectrum of kidney-related conditions, from chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury to rare genetic disorders and kidney cancer. Through a combination of research insights and patient stories, Kidney Health underscores the importance of upstream detection, equitable access to care, and emerging treatment advances that reduce the need for dialysis and transplant — ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life. 

Helping lead that dialogue is NBA Hall of Famer and kidney transplant recipient Alonzo Mourning, who shares his personal journey and powerful message of perseverance. Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis — a rare kidney condition caused by variants in the APOL1 gene — shortly after winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Olympics.

"I had just won the gold medal with Team USA in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney," he said. "Coming back home, I began to notice troubling symptoms, extreme tiredness, and alarming swelling throughout my body." 

After a successful kidney transplant from his cousin in 2003, Mourning made a historic return to the NBA, ultimately winning the 2006 championship with the Miami Heat. Now, he uses his platform to advocate for education, genetic testing, and proactive health management. "I'm a strong believer that in every adversity, there's a seed of equivalent benefit," Mourning said. "I went through what I went through, to be a spokesperson, and that's the blessing in all of this — to be a voice for the voiceless."

The print component of "Kidney Health" is available in today's edition of USA Today. Additional copies will be available at the 2026 Kidney Innovation Summit, 2026 Alport Syndrome Foundation Annual Patient Meeting and 2026 NephCure Patient and Youth Summit.

The digital component is distributed nationally, through a vast social media strategy, and across a network of top news sites and partner outlets. To explore the digital version of the campaign, visit: https://www.futureofpersonalhealth.com/campaign/kidney-and-liver/.

This campaign was made possible with the support Alonzo Mourning, American Association of Kidney Patients, Rare Kidney Disease Foundation, Alport Syndrome Foundation, UNOS, American Society of Transplantation, American Urological Association, Dr. Jay Shubrook, Dr. Robert Montgomery and features paid content from ProKidney, Renalytix, Vantive Health, NephCure, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, American Kidney Fund, Accessia Health, Invivyd, X-Therma, Hansa Biopharma, CalciMedica.

Company Contact

Jamie Bradley

[email protected]

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SOURCE Mediaplanet