It's a rare celebration. The average life expectancy on dialysis is 5-10 years.

Burney has now been on dialysis for 20 years, much of it is done at home.

"I put in about 15 hours a week doing dialysis and taking care of my machine," Burney says. "That's not a bad trade-off for all of the other hours in the week when I'm very 'normal' and have a very good life."

He discovered his kidney problems in 1995.

"I thought I had a bad case of the flu, but I never could shake it," Burney says.

He was in complete kidney failure.

"I had my first dialysis treatment four days later at Duke Hospital," he says.

In July of 2000, he received his first kidney transplant. His donor was no stranger. It was his wife, Marsha. While she was a match, doctors at Duke said she was a 'low match." Still, they rolled the dice.

"Against the odds, this transplant contracted the same disease that destroyed my original kidneys," Burney says.

The transplant was short-lived. By 2003, he was back on dialysis. He would continue to get the treatments for 7 1/2 years until receiving a second kidney, this time from a stranger. It was from a young man who died as a registered donor.

"It was a 'perfect match' kidney, and I was very lucky," Burney says. I had this kidney for 4 1/2 years before I lost it this past January."

The same disease that claimed his original kidneys and the one from his wife, destroyed his second transplant. Just recently, he was denied the chance to sign up for a third.

Burney says while he's disappointed, dialysis is not a way of life for him, rather a small part of it.

Burney says he hopes the snapshot of his celebration of 2500 treatments will not be a deterrent to someone just learning that they have kidney disease, rather a sign of hope.

"Most importantly, dialysis is NOT, NOT, NOT a 'death sentence.' It is a chance for a little more LIFE. Make it a quality life and keep a positive attitude."

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