Dawn Smith Bates is a care partner for her husband Jimmie. He has been on this journey since 2008 doing in center dialysis.  In  2009 they married and were approached about doing HHD.  Jimmie was reluctant but after Experiencing the Difference he was hooked. He has asked to do dialysis 7 days a week because he feels so much better, and his nephrologist supports him. They have 5 grown children  and 13 grandchildren.  Family is very important and they spend a lot of time with their grandkids, including online school during the pandemic. They  love traveling and going to motorcycle rallies and have done dialysis in a tent running off a generator. Life is too short not to live it on their own terms.