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A woman in Arizona is speaking out about an alleged wrongful termination that occurred three years ago after she began experiencing kidney failure while working for a company where she was required to be on her feet for 12 to 14 hours a day.
The woman, who refers to herself as “The Renal Rebel,” explained in her TikTok video that she is revisiting the experience as a form of healing in order to finally get the weight of it off her chest. While she did not name the company involved, she said the impact of losing her job during a medical emergency has stayed with her.
Her Story
The woman said she spent most of her adult life working in retail, where she quickly rose through the ranks and became a manager at the age of 22. She worked in that role for five years before transitioning into a warehouse distribution setting, where she remained for another four years. It was during this period, after switching jobs, that she began experiencing unexplained symptoms that would later be diagnosed as kidney failure.
It also did not help that the workplace culture in the warehouse environment she worked in was toxic, according to her. “This place just had like no ethics, no integrity. There was just a lot of shady stuff happening behind the scenes,” the woman claimed. Because she frequently spoke up about issues she believed were wrong, she eventually started feeling like she had developed a target on her back over time, not only with management but also with some coworkers.
As her health continued to decline, the woman applied for and was granted a position she had been excited about. “I was going to be in charge of over 60 forklift drivers, and the job entailed me riding a bike all around the warehouse, which to me sounded so much fun because I’m very high energy,” she said. But less than six months into the role, her body began to shut down. She was diagnosed with stage three kidney failure and was forced to step down from the position she had worked hard to earn, a decision she described as “soul crushing.”
Her Accommodation Needs Were Allegedly Not Met
The woman said management appeared understanding of her condition at first, but that changed once she requested basic medical accommodations. “I wasn’t asking for anything crazy,” she explained. “I was on my feet for 12 to 14 hours straight. So I was just asking to be close to a bathroom and not have to walk up and down the stairs.”
Although her accommodation paperwork was approved on paper, she said she was still placed in a department located upstairs with no bathroom access. When she requested a stool so she could sit for short intervals during her work hours, that request was also approved but never fulfilled, forcing her to sit on empty storage totes instead.
The woman admitted that, in hindsight, she could have pushed harder or escalated the situation further, but said she was already afraid of being labeled difficult and did not want to make waves while struggling physically.
Some Coworkers Did Not Believe Her
In December 2021, the Arizona woman’s condition worsened significantly. She was hospitalized and told she was approaching end-stage kidney failure and would likely need dialysis in the near future. After hearing this, she immediately informed HR and management of her condition and applied for intermittent FMLA leave. The leave was approved, according to her, with three months of full pay, followed by short-term disability at 60 percent.
However, at the time, she explained that she was still in denial about how severe her condition had become and believed she would be able to return to work while managing dialysis. When the three months passed and her pay dropped, she found herself unable to afford rent or groceries. Because dialysis had not yet started, she attempted to return to work, but within a week, she suffered a seizure on the job. “I had to be carried down the stairs from the second floor because I couldn’t walk anywhere,” she recalled.
Despite management witnessing the incident and calling paramedics, the woman said there were still people at work who did not believe she was truly ill. “They were asking for pictures. They were asking for doctor’s notes,” she said.
Things Went Downhill Afterwards
The woman was later placed on unpaid leave after exhausting her short-term disability benefits. She was told she could keep her insurance but could only remain on unpaid leave for one year before termination. During this time, she began dialysis and continued submitting accommodation requests, asking only that one shift per week be shortened by two hours so she could attend life-sustaining treatment.
According to her, those requests were repeatedly denied. She also said she sent numerous emails to multiple HR representatives, including senior-level staff, but never received a response. Eventually, after months of trying to fight for her job while managing dialysis and declining health, she was fired.
“All this time of me trying to fight for my job,” she said, “I got no closure from that at all. And I had to walk away from that and not hold anger in my heart.”
The Bright Side to the Arizona Woman’s Story
The Arizona woman was able to receive a kidney transplant in 2025 and is now celebrating five months post-op.
Since sharing her story, she has also received an outpouring of support online. Netizens praised her for her resilience and encouraged her to keep moving forward. One person wrote, “You are still amazing!” Another added, “I’m proud of you!!” A third commented, “So sorry that happened 😭 but at least now you’re out of that toxic environment.”
