It was a sea of blue shirts following a bagpiper Saturday morning as hundreds of people streamed through Truro for the annual Kidney Walk.
In the crowd was local transplant recipient Jon Michael, who showed up with his wife Julie and four of their eight children, all showing their support for the Kidney Foundation of Canada’s drive to fight kidney diseases.
“It’s fantastic, what a big difference, I can’t believe how good I feel, the [new] kidney just changed everything,” said Michael, who previously suffered renal failure. “There’s a lot of support, money well spent, money well needed.”
Michael was first diagnosed in 2011 and after five years entered end-stage renal failure and was on dialysis several times a week. His condition was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which causes blood problems, tiredness, edema, weight gain and protein in urine.
He finally underwent his transplant in May of this year.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada was raising money to help patients like Michael with kidney diseases to cover costs of hospital trips and help out with services like dialysis, fund ongoing medical research, as well as educate people about kidney health. It also advocates for transplant donors and recipients.
While Michael was lucky, Hazel Muise’s husband George was not. He passed away from kidney failure in July last year. She was at the walk with her daughter Carol to honour their loved one, travelling up from their home in Beaverbank.
“If they have a good kidney they could pass it on,” said Muise. “I just appreciate all these people coming out and walking, it’s the best they can do. If they can donate a kidney that’s even better.”
The Truro walk was one of many held by the Kidney Foundation of Canada this month to raise both funds and awareness about kidney diseases.
For more information, please visit www.kidneywalk.ca.
