Lori Hartwell founded Renal Support Network (RSN) in 1993 to empower people who have kidney disease to become knowledgeable about their illness, proactive in their care, hopeful about their future and make friendships that last a lifetime. RSN strives to help patients develop their personal coping skills, special talents, and employability by educating and empowering them (and their family members) to take control of the course and management of the disease. Connecting with people who have already gone down this path is crucial to survivorship.