It started in 2003, at the young age of 12, when Dax was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome (a disorder that causes the body to excrete too much protein in the urine), and then later Focal Segmental Glomeruloscerosis (FSGS), a rare disease that attacks the kidney’s filtering units (glomerul) causing serious scarring. Dax’s FSGS eventually progressed to end-stage renal failure. So, at age 18, Dax began dialysis. A college student, traveling 2 hours each way for dialysis treatment, it became apparent that Dax had to put his studies on the back burner. These late teen and early adult years for Dax were dominated by grueling dialysis treatment. “My first reaction to dialysis was shock,” he recalls, “even though I had been a chronic kidney disease patient for 6 years at the time I started dialysis—everything was new, and everything was scary.” The first signs that Dax was a warrior were evident as he fought through his treatment. Dax describes the first couple months of living on dialysis as, “Absolute torture. Every morning seemed worse than the one before, and the nausea was one of the hardest things to get used to. I struggled to eat enough to sustain my body. It is very hard to force yourself to eat when the thought of food only makes you sicker to your stomach. It is a vicious cycle that is very hard to cope with at first.”

In addition to the many physical side effects of dialysis that Dax adjusted to, he also struggled with the emotional toll it took on him, “For the longest time, I shut everyone out and pushed everyone away. I created a vacuum of depression and sadness. Dialysis changed me in a way that I felt no one understood. I looked the same, better, in fact, due to the weight loss, but inside I was dying.” But once again, Dax took his challenges head on and not only continues to survive, but to grow as a person while he is doing it. “I used to hide the fact that I was on dialysis, and now I proclaim it proudly, because it is something that not everyone can do. As chronically ill patients, we should always take pride in what we go through every day. It takes strength, fortitude, and a willingness to fight against the adversity thrown at you.”

Finally, in 2012 Dax received a kidney transplant and what would appear to be a new lease on life—no more dialysis and re-enrollment in college. But things soon took a turn for the worse. Less than a month after Dax’s transplant, the FSGS recurred in the new kidney. This news was crushing to Dax, as he recalls “the disappointment, depression and sadness that came from learning that my first transplanted kidney was showing signs of FSGS. It was almost too much for me to take.” Never giving up and determined to take advantage of the gift he was given, Dax stayed enrolled in school despite failing health and dialysis three days a week. He attained his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work.
Once again, dialysis became a prominent part of Dax’s life. Admitting that it is very hard to be a relatively young patient in treatment, Dax decided he was going to resist a path of isolation and negativity. “I struggle to pass the time still today. It is a constant battle to keep my mind engaged in something positive, and not dwell on where I am.” In fact, Dax began filming some short 5 minute videos during his dialysis treatments. The videos not only take up a good amount of time, but are something Dax finds resonates with many other patients. His inspirational and motivational videos have become an effective way to reach out to fellow patients and got him thinking, “Let’s do something bigger!” Pursuing an idea that came to Dax when he first began treatment, Dax unselfishly set his sights on founding a clothing company, Ivye Wear, LLC. Dax and his company champion for the rights of the sick, creating comfortable, accessible clothing for spoonies (individuals living with a chronic disease). These garments are designed to inspire strength, preserve digni