WASHINGTON— Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) said in an April 21 statement that it grieves the loss of DPC Board Member and devoted kidney patient advocate Beverly “Bev” Schroeder, of Edenton, N.C., who passed away on Wednesday, April 20th, at the age of 76.
Bev joined the organization in 2004 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2006. She was elected Secretary of the Board in August 2010.
“The dialysis community has suffered a great loss,” said Nancy Scott, DPC Board of Directors’ President. “Bev was an active member of the DPC Board of Directors, and her involvement and contributions to DPC were inspirational. She will surely be missed.”
Before joining DPC, Bev worked for the Department of Social Security, as well as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She was an active volunteer for many causes, including working with a domestic violence shelter and counseling group, running a domestic violence hotline, spending time with abused children, advocating for victims of crime with the local District Attorney’s office and founding a fibromyalgia support group within her community.
When Bev was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2004 due to complications from diabetes, Bev learned about DPC and decided to get involved as a DPC Patient Ambassador. In this role, she spoke to community churches and other organizations to raise awareness about kidney disease and educate those who may be at risk. In addition, Bev hosted local members of Congress at her dialysis facility to educate them on dialysis and issues affecting dialysis patients.
When she became a DPC Board Member, Bev continued her advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, speaking multiple times with U.S. Congressmen on behalf of kidney patients, with the goal of improving quality of life for dialysis patients and advancing kidney disease prevention efforts. After becoming a Board Member, Bev commented that “being an advocate comes naturally to me. Now being on the DPC Board and helping in the formation of policy, I look forward to further advancing that aspect of my life.”
On September 28, 2010, The American Kidney Fund (AKF) awarded Bev the Hero of Hope Award for her dedication and commitment to advocacy and volunteerism on behalf of kidney patients.
