From Sault Star, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, By Brian Kelly, Sault Star
There's lots of ways kidney disease has affected Christina Palmer's life.
She wants other people to know a little bit more about the condition that forces 9,800 Ontario residents to get dialysis.
Diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease at 19, the Bruce Mines resident started doing eight hours of dialysis daily in March 2013.
“It's a long process,” said Palmer, 43. “It sure takes a lot of your time, but at least I'm alive.”
She wants to get a kidney transplant, but acknowledges her health has to improve and she has to be mentally prepared before that operation can happen.
Declining health forced her to quit her job as a cashier at Heritage Home Hardware in Bruce Mines in mid-August.
“(There's) lots going on with me,” said Palmer Saturday before the start of the 11th annual Kidney Walk at Roberta Bondar Pavilion.
She hopes the fundraiser, held provincewide in 43 communities, helps build awareness about a disease that affects, or has the potential to impact, 1.5 million Ontario residents.
“People just need more knowledge,” she begins, before her stepmother Mimi Bouchard adds “to know what people are experiencing with this disease.”
Palmer's kidney disease is hereditary. Her mother and her two sons also have the genetic kidney disorder.
Palmer and Bouchard were part of a team, 50 Rocks, at the weekend fundraiser. Team captain Shirley Pulkkinen is a social worker at Sault Area Hospital's renal unit. She's also a member of Kidney Foundation of Canada's Ontario board.
Her team, with a monicker chosen to reflect the association's 50th anniversary and her 50th birthday this year, was made up of dialysis patients such as Palmer, family members and health-care professionals.
An 11-year-old granddaughter of one team member donated $5 from her allowance in honour of her grandfather. [Read more]
From The Scoop, New Zealand
A Whangarei woman, who donated a kidney to her husband, is setting off today to walk the length of New Zealand to encourage others to donate their organs.
There are currently 170 Northlanders undertaking dialysis to keep them alive. Of these, 36 are medically suitable to be listed on the national kidney transplant list and are waiting for a suitable donor.
The main cause of kidney failure in New Zealand is diabetes. Northland statistics from 2011 show that 32.2 per cent of Maori were affected by diabetes, 1.7 per cent of Pacific Islanders and 66.2 per cent of other nationalities.
Currently 71 Northlanders have had a functioning kidney transplant and Hugh Cole-Baker is one of these, thanks to the generosity of his wife Ros.
Mr Cole-Baker struggled with kidney disease for 10 years, resulting in renal failure and the need for dialysis, before his wife donated one of her kidneys last year.
The transplant was a success and, with Hugh’s new lease on life, the couple are passionate about reducing the waiting list of the 600 New Zealanders in need of a transplant.
Says Mrs Cole-Baker: “The only way to avoid dialysis is to have a kidney transplant from a deceased donor or a living person. Donating a kidney will make a real difference to the life of a person with kidney disease. In the words of one donor, ‘You'll never do anything better than donate a kidney’.”
The Hugh-Bakers, who run a Whangarei Heads-based bed and breakfast, set off from Cape Reinga today to undertake the Te Araroa Trail with Mrs Cole-Baker walking and mountain biking and Hugh arriving at each destination via campervan. At each stop they plan to share the facts about live kidney donation and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, conducting talks in towns and handing out brochures
They aim to be in Wellington by Christmas and are allowing up to five months to reach Bluff. [Read more]
In the last two decades, the number of Canadians being treated for kidney failure has more than doubled.
Each day, an average of 15 people are told that their kidneys have failed.
The disease, often referred to as 'silent killer,' usually starts slowly and progresses over a number of years.
According to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, as many as 600,000 Canadians may be at risk right now, and not know the signs of the disease - because kidney disease describes a variety of diseases and disorders that affect the kidneys.
However, most diseases of the kidneys ultimately do the same thing and attack the filtering units of the organs or what are also known as nephrons. The attack damages the nephrons' ability to eliminate wastes and excess fluids.
The two most common and preventable causes of end-stage kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, although some kidney diseases like polycystic kidney disease, for instance, are also inheritable.
The scarier truth is kidney disease can strike anyone at any time and at any age.
There's no cure. And when kidneys fail, dialysis treatment or transplants are the only option for those suffering.
This weekend, however, people here in Pembroke have the chance to make a difference. People here have the chance to help increase awareness.
"There are several ways kidney disease can affect someone," Heather Sutherland, one of the organizers for the Pembroke Kidney Walk said. "Increasing awareness has never been more important," she added.
This weekend's walk will take place on Sunday. Registration is at 1 p.m. and the walk begins at 2 p.m. at Pembroke's Waterfront Riverwalk Amphitheatre.
Sunday is the only day dialysis isn't offered at local hospitals, Sutherland explained. That's why the walk for the last eight years or so always take place on the Sunday, so patients can participate too.
"Our family, as many know, has a personal connection to kidney disease," Sutherland went on to say. "But the truth is kidney disease affects a lot of people. More than people may know. One in 10 Canadians have kidney disease and millions more are at risk. Those are pretty intense statistics."
The kidney walk, which takes place in communities across the province, is the Kidney Foundation of Canada's largest fundraiser of the year, Sutherland added.
Dialysis is offered in Pembroke, Renfrew and Barry's Bay so kidney disease is not just a problem elsewhere in Canada, Sutherland pointed out. "It's an issue here in our communities," she said.
On Sunday, it's about celebrating the wins and also taking the steps towards a better future for so many struggling and for those who will struggle with kidney disease, Sutherland explained.
The goal for the Pembroke non-competitive walk is to raise $12,000. More than $4,700 has been raised as of Sept. 17. [Read more]
From Herald Argus, LaPorte, Indiana
This year, Jeff and Laura Moyer of La Porte, as well as thousands nationwide, will come together and walk in support of those affected by polycystic kidney disease.
PKD is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic kidney diseases affecting thousands in America and millions worldwide. It is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure, and there is no treatment or cure.
The 2014 Northern Indiana Walk for PKD is planned for Saturday at Creek Ridge County Park with PKD patients, their families and friends fundraising and walking together to unite to fight and end PKD. Registration is at 9 a.m., with the Walk beginning at 10 a.m.
Jeff and Laura Moyer participate in the Walk for PKD for Laura's immediate family (15 of them including Laura herself), who has Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
Learning about ADPKD and how to care for has been difficult at times prior to Laura's Transplant in 2011. Her daily care requires multiple medications, monthly labs, etc. all caused by ADPKD.
Despite the challenges, the Moyer family counts their blessings daily in having a happy, beautiful life and family.
The annual Walk for PKD is the signature fundraising and public awareness event for the PKD Foundation and is the largest gathering of PKD patients, family, friends and supporters; more than 11,000 strong.
More than 50 walks occur every year in cities across the nation. Since 2000, the Walk for PKD has raised nearly $22 million.
This money raised supports the PKD Foundation's efforts to fund research to find treatments and a cure, and to provide information and support to people affected by PKD.
"The Walk for PKD is an opportunity for our family to raise awareness and money for research and to support other families going through the same thing," Laura Moyer said. "The idea of being able to do something for future generation means more than I can say." [Read more]
Living with PKD, Start a Conversation
Ottawa Magazine, Canada, PKD Foundation of Canada
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic diseases. Sadly, conversations surrounding the disease are very uncommon. Jeff Robertson, Executive Director, PKD Foundation of Canada and Arie Pekar, PKD patient and transplant recipient, share their stories. Visitwww.endpkd.ca to learn more.
You wouldn’t guess from looking at the two men that they underwent organ transplant surgery earlier this year. But that’s just what Lawrence middle school teachers Scott Forkenbrock and Mike Wormsley did, when Forkenbrock donated a kidney to his colleague in January.
Nine months later, they’re both back teaching at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Wormsley no longer needs dialysis, and Forkenbrock has returned to his physically active lifestyle.
Forkenbrock’s generous act is even inspiring others. After a friend heard about what he did, she decided to run the New York City Marathon in November by raising money for the PKD Foundation, which spreads awareness about the kidney disorder that had Wormsley on the transplant waiting list before his co-worker came to the rescue.
“It was nothing I’d ever heard of anyone doing before,” said Amanda Wittman, 30, an Olathe sign-language interpreter who has pledged to raise $3,500 for the PKD Foundation in order to run the marathon, which her husband and Forkenbrock and his wife will be participating in as well. “You read about it with family members and loved ones, but to donate a kidney to a co-worker, I was just amazed. After seeing him go through that surgery, I feel honored to know him.”
Forkenbrock, 43, acts like it’s no big deal. He did the research ahead of time and found out he could donate a kidney and be back to 100 percent in a matter of months. He was more concerned about Wormsley, who hadn’t been himself after experiencing kidney failure two years ago. He had no energy, could only work part-time and was considering early retirement, all due to polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary condition that causes cysts to develop on the kidney.
After successfully undergoing the transplant at Kansas University Hospital in January, the two men were back to teaching within seven weeks. And nine months later, Wormsley is his old self again.
“I feel like I’m pretty much back to where I was before my kidney shut down,” the 62-year-old said on a recent day at the Lawrence middle school. “I’m working full-time. My energy is up. My health is good.” [Read more]
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