LAWRENCE, Mass., July 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Independence Day, NxStage Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTM), a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, joins patients across the nation in celebrating the freedom and flexibility they have reclaimed with home hemodialysis (HHD) using the NxStage® System One™.

"After I was injured in the line of duty, my kidneys failed and I was stuck in-center with no hope of coming out," said veteran and businessman, Rod Jones of North Carolina. "I felt trapped, dependent and constantly exhausted because of my treatment. Now I am a new man thanks to more frequent home hemodialysis and NxStage – independent and free to do anything I want."  Jones works full-time and is currently studying to obtain his sixth degree in electrical engineering. 

Walfred Lopez, a community activist and NxStage patient in Los Angeles, explains that more frequent HHD has helped him regain his independence and focus on community activism serving full-time as a Community Health Promoter and a board member of the Binational Health Week. "Independence means being closer to my dreams, doing what I like, and being an active advocate and counselor for the Hispanic community – similar to the way I lived my life before my kidneys failed," said Lopez.

Alphonso Jefferson, a military veteran from Virginia, has the freedom to enjoy athletics and an active lifestyle. Jefferson, who began using the NxStage System One in 2009, has traveled extensively across the United States, and even participates annually in a 220-mile bike race. "The flexibility of the System One has allowed me to travel across the country with my nephew who is a college football recruit. NxStage has given me the opportunity to help my nephew achieve his dream of playing college football," said Jefferson.

"For many, an ESRD diagnosis is terrifying," said NxStage President Joe Turk. "Hearing directly from our patients that home hemodialysis helps them regain a sense of independence and have quality of life, is very rewarding. We encourage patients to embrace this flexibility and join them in celebrating their ability to live freely."

Beginning July 16^th, NxStage will kick off its Freedom Tour. The Tour is designed to increase patient awareness of home hemodialysis and consists of a NxStage patient along with her care partner, making scheduled stops at dialysis centers in nine cities along the East Coast.  The NxStage patient will speak with other dialysis patients about the benefits of more frequent home hemodialysis and perform demonstrations using the NxStage System One.

Watch and hear how other NxStage patients are celebrating their independence by visiting  http://ww2.nxstage.com/Independence.html. To learn more about NxStage and the System One, visit www.nxstage.com or join the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/NxStage, Twitter at @NxStage and YouTube at youtube.com/user/NxStage.

Despite the health benefits that more frequent home hemodialysis may provide to those with chronic kidney disease, this form of therapy is not for everyone. The reported benefits of home hemodialysis may not be experienced by all patients. The risks associated with hemodialysis treatments in any environment include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, fluid overload, low blood pressure, heart-related issues, and vascular access complications. The medical devices used in hemodialysis therapies may add additional risks including air entering the bloodstream and blood loss due to clotting or accidental disconnection of the blood tubing set. Certain risks are unique to the home. Treatments at home are done without the presence of medical personnel and on-site technical support. Patients and their partners must be trained on what to do and how to get medical or technical help if needed.

About the NxStage System One
The NxStage System One is the first and only truly portable hemodialysis system cleared for home use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Its simplicity and revolutionary size (just over a foot tall) are intended to allow convenient use in patients' homes and give patients the freedom to travel with their therapy. When combined with the NxStage Pureflow SL Dialysis Preparation System, patients are able to further simplify, using ordinary tap water to create dialysis fluid. Unlike conventional hemodialysis systems, the System One requires no special infrastructure to operate. Under the guidance of their physician, patients can use the NxStage System One, with their trained partners, where, how and when it best meets their needs - at home or on vacation and at a medically appropriate treatment frequency. http://www.nxstage.com/.

About NxStage Medical
NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTM) is a medical device company, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, that develops, manufactures and markets innovative products for the treatment of ESRD and acute kidney failure. For more information on NxStage and its products, please visit the Company's website at www.nxstage.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this release that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including those that are discussed in NxStage's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. NxStage is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media contact:
Meredith D'Agostino
mdagostino@451marketing.com
617-986-0216

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SOURCE NxStage Medical, Inc.