Daniel Holmes
Founder | CEO
U.S. Navy Veteran
My Story
Dan Holmes is a former U.S. Navy Combat Search and Rescue operator, a 2024 NephCure Impact Award recipient, and one of the nation’s leading voices in kidney disease advocacy. In April 2020, he was diagnosed with Membranous Nephropathy—a rare, incurable kidney disease doctors said left little hope. But surrender was never in his DNA.
Separated from his wife due to COVID-19 restrictions, Dan approached the diagnosis like a tactical rescue mission—studying the disease, challenging doctors, and refusing to accept defeat. In the process, he uncovered a deeper injustice: his condition was linked to toxic exposure during a 2008 shipboard fire on the USS George Washington. Despite clear evidence, the VA denied his claims for years.
His relentless fight finally broke through with the passage of the PACT Act, expanding benefits for veterans exposed to toxins. Dan has since taken his mission national, speaking before the FDA, NIH, the National Board of Nephrology, and Congress—demanding better care, faster diagnoses, and a seat at the table for patients.
His journey hasn’t been easy. He’s survived two strokes, a collapsed lung, eight pulmonary embolisms, renal vein thrombosis, and life-threatening medical errors. At one point, he was told it would be cheaper to bury him in Arlington than to keep him alive. But he fought on.
With the support of his family and the help from his close circle, Dan entered partial remission—and transformed his personal battle into a national movement. Through the Enlisted Kidney Foundation, he now helps others fight back, find answers, and discover their own warrior spirit.
Dan is a disruptor, a survivor, and a force for change in kidney disease advocacy. And he’s just getting started.
🔥The Fire That Changed Everything
On May 22, 2008, while standing watch aboard the USS George Washington, Navy Search and Rescue Operator Dan Holmes answered a mayday call that would define the rest of his life. A fire had broken out deep in the ship’s compartments, trapping sailors in an inferno where standard rescue efforts failed.
Holmes and a small team of specially trained sailors volunteered for the mission. Wearing aluminized suits and pushing through searing heat, toxic smoke, and near-zero visibility, Holmes breached a hatch fused shut by fire and helped pull four trapped sailors to safety—risking his life in the process. He emerged alive, but exposed to toxic firefighting foam and without any follow-up care.
The fire was extinguished days later, but the real damage emerged over time. Holmes was later diagnosed with PTSD—and in 2020, a rare kidney disease directly linked to chemical exposure during that rescue.
That moment—saving lives while sacrificing his own health—became the spark behind the Enlisted Kidney Foundation. Today, Holmes continues his mission of service, fighting to ensure that no kidney warrior or veteran is ever left behind again.
“So Others May Live.” That was the mission then. It still is.
That was his mission in the Navy. It's still his mission today.
Read More about this incident on Wikipedia
🎖️Military Career summation
A Journey of Service and Advocacy
Daniel Holmes began his distinguished military career as a Naval Aircrewman, serving as an Aviation Warfare Systems Operator (AW), the Navy’s Search and Rescue Special Operations division. With multiple deployments under his belt, including service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, Daniel gained invaluable experience in high-stakes environments.
He later transitioned into the Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) rate, mastering the intricacies of refueling operations and fuel refining processes on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. During this time, he earned both his Distinguished Air Warfare Specialist Pin (EAWS) and Surface Warfare Specialist Pin (ESWS), a rare accomplishment for a junior sailor.
Later in his career, Daniel served with Navy Security Forces alongside Military Police as a SWAT Team Leader aboard the USS George Washington, and he trained at the Advanced Tactical Training School at Blackwater, a renowned military contractor, honing skills that he passed on to his fellow service members.
Daniel exited the military at his final duty station in Coronado, San Diego, California, and was finally able to return home to Norfolk, Virginia, where his family awaited him. This homecoming marked the end of his final deployment and the beginning of a new mission. Carrying forward the same dedication and leadership, Daniel now focuses on advocacy through the Enlisted Kidney Foundation (EKF), where the real work of making a difference began. Today, his mission remains the same: to save lives so that others may live, a commitment that continues through the work of EKF.
