Turning 60 is a milestone for anyone, but for Burbank-based social entrepreneur and boutique owner Lori Hartwell, it is something even deeper. It is a celebration of survival, service, creativity, kidney transplants, second chances, and the kind of hope that has carried her through a lifetime of medical challenges.
Hartwell has lived with kidney failure since the age of 2 years old, and spent 13 years on dialysis, with four kidney transplants, and more than 50 surgeries, making her one of the longest living kidney failure survivors in the world. She is a pinnacle of survival and courage, now using her platform to bring awareness through her firsthand experience and helping others living with chronic kidney disease.
This summer, Hartwell is turning 60, and it also marks a milestone for her podcast, Lori’s KidneyTalk®, which is celebrating 20 years this year. The program was launched through the Renal Support Network to provide practical advice, encouragement, and real-life stories for people navigating kidney disease.
“Turning 60 feels like a profound gift,” Hartwell said. “After living through so many health issues since a child, I don’t take a birthday like this for granted.” She said the birthday is a reminder that life is precious, survival is meaningful, and every year offers another opportunity to make memories with the people and pets she loves.
Hartwell’s life has never followed a traditional path, but she has turned that journey into a mission. In 1993, she founded the Renal Support Network (RSN), a kidney patient-focused and patient-run nonprofit created to offer peer-to-peer support, education, and resources for people affected by chronic kidney disease.
Her own experience has taught her that patients need more than medical care when navigating kidney disease. What she witnessed was a need for community and to connect with people who understood what it felt like to live with fear, uncertainty, treatments, survival, and the emotional weight of chronic illness.
“It’s human nature to share the bad stories or the near misses especially when you go through so much,” said Hartwell. “It’s part of coping and accepting the trauma you have been through. I wanted to share stories of hope and resilience from my peers.” Hartwell found that her peers needed a place where they could feel understood and hopeful.
That sense of connection has become the thread through everything Hartwell has built. Through RSN, she has created patient support groups, educational magazines, podcasts, essay contests, renal teen proms, advocacy programs, and events designed to empower people to better understand and advocate for their own care.
Her podcast, KidneyTalk®, became another way for her to reach and help people. Hartwell started podcasting in 2006 because she knew not everyone could attend events or support groups in person, and many people on dialysis spend hours in treatment each week. KidneyTalk® gave them something they could listen to while receiving care, driving, waiting for appointments, or simply needing encouragement.
Now 20 years later, KidneyTalk® continues to feature healthcare professionals, fellow patients, and inspiring guests who share stories, education, and practical tools for living with chronic kidney disease. The stories over the decades still stay with her, including an interview she did with Celeste Lee about her choice to go on hospice. Hartwell remembers that episode as one of the most bravest interviews she’s conducted. “She spoke openly and honestly for more than 30 minutes, and it really stayed with me,” said Hartwell. “Her story hits home because, one day, we all travel this journey at the end of life.”
Hartwell has also carried her mission into the local community through Studio Hope Boutique, located at 817 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank’s Magnolia Park neighborhood. The shop is a vintage, artisan, and curated thrift boutique that supports second chances for both people diagnosed with kidney failure and orphaned pets.
Studio Hope opened in 2024 after Hartwell saw how much isolation remained after COVID. She wanted to create a space where people could meet face-to-face, talk, shop, decompress, and feel a part of something meaningful, and it was an idea she just couldn’t let go of. What makes Studio Hope different from a traditional thrift store is the care behind it. Hartwell describes it as “a boutique with a point of view,” filled with art, vintage pieces, curated thrift finds, handmade items, jewelry, clothing, home décor, and pieces that feel special, stylish, and useful.
She is especially drawn to items that have a story. She loves color, handmade pieces, high-quality craftsmanship, and vintage jewelry. Studio Hope also reflects her passion for sustainability and giving things a second life instead of contributing to fast fashion and landfill waste. That idea of “second chances” is deeply personal to Hartwell. She jokes that renal failure is the “ultimate reuse program,” a phrase that ties together her kidney transplant journey, her love of rescuing animals, and her creativity in seeing value in things others may overlook.
Since opening, Studio Hope has grown into a gathering place. The boutique hosts community events, pet adoptions, game nights, book signings, and its 3rd Friday Ladies Night. Happening on the 3rd Friday of the month, the event gives women a chance to shop, talk, laugh, bring snacks, listen to music, and support one another. “I’ve learned that you build the community you want,” added Hartwell.
Every purchase at Studio Hope helps support two causes close to Hartwell’s heart, with proceeds benefiting her two non-profit organizations, RSN and Paws Fur Hope, a pet rescue that she started with her husband, Dean. The program was inspired in part by Hartwell’s childhood dog, Pepi, a little black poodle who stayed with her through some of the hardest chapters of her life.
Pepi was with Hartwell when she had both kidneys removed at age 12 and remained by her side through years of dialysis. “He was my rock, and part of the reason I kept fighting to get well. He needed me, and I needed him,” said Hartwell. “Paws Fur Hope grew out of my deep love for animals and the comfort they bring.” In the past six years, Hartwell’s organization has helped home more than 300 dogs and cats.
For Hartwell, the work of Renal Support Network, Paws Fur Hope, KidneyTalk®, and Studio Hope Boutique all come from the understanding that lived experience can be turned into service, and each one of her projects is deeply rooted in compassion, hope, purpose, community, and second chances.
In a year when she is celebrating both her 60th birthday and 20 years of her KidneyTalk® podcast, Hartwell’s story is not just about survival, it’s about what has blossomed out of it and how it has taken shape to touch the lives of people, patients, and pets in the community.
