For kidney failure patients, braving the world outside during a pandemic can be a matter of life and death. Some of the first COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. were of dialysis patients, patients who tend to be older and have coexisting conditions and who can be particularly at risk when it comes to COVID-19. While states ask everyone to stay home and quarantine, for those getting essential weekly treatments to filter their blood and rid the body of toxins and waste, staying home is not an option. Across the U.S., dialysis centers have been some of the first places hit with the coronavirus; even those who test positive with the virus can't skip appointments. “It’s like a part-time job,” says Northwest Kidney Centers patient Larry Denenholz. "You are in the chair for five hours. Most of us do it three days a week.” Medical staff at Washington dialysis clinics, such as Northwest Kidney Centers in and around Seattle, were among the first in the nation to help set the standard for pandemic dialysis care, and their lessons continue to provide guidelines to others on how to safely provide life-saving treatment to patients.

Marni Good had to close her business, and her husband was placed on unemployment from his job at Boeing. Now they're trying to weather the economic storm.

Are you interested in sharing your story? Do you know someone whose story you'd like to see shared? We're on the hunt for stories across the PNW that truly speak to issues we're facing during the pandemic, and we need your help in finding those stories.

Post your own video diaries to social media and tag them #IsolationDiaries or email us directly at crosscutaudience@gmail.com. Or tag a friend or neighbor on social media and introduce them to us.

Clyde Peterson moved to Guemes Island, Washington, choosing to isolate because of diabetes and avoid the need for medical attention as a trans person.

Are you interested in sharing your story? Do you know someone whose story you'd like to see shared? We're on the hunt for stories across the PNW that truly speak to issues we're facing during the pandemic, and we need your help in finding those stories.

Post your own video diaries to social media and tag them #IsolationDiaries or email us directly at crosscutaudience@gmail.com. Or tag a friend or neighbor on social media and introduce them to us.

Sadie Pimpleton is a single grandmother raising her grandchildren in Seattle. She recently survived COVID-19. She spent five days in the hospital and remembers feeling like it was the end for her. She is now back home and adjusting to life in lockdown with her grandkids. She leans on her community of other grandmothers and on her faith for support. The grandmothers group started sewing masks together as a way to cope, by doing something to help others. Pimpleton says things like sewing masks and her church livestreams every Sunday are what get her through each week.