The spirit of giving
Thomson Reuters has been a supporter of the National Kidney Foundation for many years. But recently, FindLaw had a very special reason to continue its support.
Matthew Rognstad, a senior front end developer for FindLaw, has struggled with kidney disease since October 2011. When his kidneys failed and he went on dialysis, he started the difficult journey of waiting for a transplant. His colleagues in FindLaw were supportive and took action, raising money for the foundation.
On October 13, 2012, a team from FindLaw participated in the National Kidney Walk, held on the Thomson Reuters campus. They raised over $9,800 for the Foundation and were the top fundraising team of the event. The money raised provides kidney disease awareness and free early detection screenings to the community.
Matt’s support from colleagues continued after the walk. One coworker and friend in particular went above and beyond. Christi Krautbauer, a social media team lead also in FindLaw, was pregnant with her second child when she heard that Matt needed a kidney. She promised she would be assessed if another donor wasn’t found by the time the baby was six months old. Christina was a match, and she donated her kidney to Matt on April 18, 2013.
Christi Krautbauer at the National Kidney Foundation’s Great Chef’s event
Matt celebrated his birthday on April 20, and says Christi gave him the best present he has ever received. Christi says her children are proud their mom was able to help “Mr. Matt.” Both have been discharged from the hospital and are recovering; you can keep up-to-date on their progress on Matt’s blog, which was built by the FindLaw team.
Last weekend, the National Kidney Foundation held their annual meeting, where Thomson Reuters received the 2013 Friend of the Foundation Award. Amanda Swan, manager of Customer Operations Development, and Craig Yolitz, vice president of Customer Operations for FindLaw, accepted the award behalf of the company. Shortly after the award ceremony, the foundation held the annual Great Chef’s Event where Christi spoke in front of 600 people just 10 days after the transplant.
“This story is nothing short of amazing,” said Swan. “Thomson Reuters not only supports the true meaning of giving with our annual Giving Campaign and our involvement with community relations, but it also fosters an environment where people come together to build friendships and support during a time in need.”
