“Don’t take your organs to heaven. Heaven knows we need them here.”
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That’s a slogan that Sheri King has on a shirt that helps spread the word about the need for people to become organ donors.
King, age 61, was diagnosed with kidney disease at age 35 and had to undergo three-hour dialysis sessions four times per week. That regimen can make a big difference in one’s life, including the ability to work and travel.
“It’s difficult when you’re in that situation, and until (I was) I never really thought about my kidneys,” she said. “They were just part of my body and had always been working.”
King received a kidney during a transplant procedure 20 years ago and said it completely changed her life. She was able to travel to such destinations as Portugal and South America with her former partner whom she met at the dialysis unit.
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King is a past ambassador of the annual Kidney Walk that takes place at 10 am on Sunday, September 22 at Harmony Square in downtown Brantford.
“It’s our 60th anniversary (for the Kidney Foundation) we’re hoping to have a big party celebration,” said Liz Giacinti, president of the foundation’s Brant County chapter that aims to raise $40,000 from this year’s walk. “We are way below that at this point right now, so we’re hoping to get a surge leading up to the walk.”
One and three-kilometer walking routes are featured, as well as refreshments and children’s activities.
Individuals and teams can register to participate by visiting kidneywalk.ca and selecting Brantford. Individuals unable to participate can also make pledges online.
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A retired registered nurse from the dialysis unit at Brantford General Hospital, Giacinti said 73 per cent of all Canadians waiting for an organ transplant are waiting for a kidney. The median wait time for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor is three-and-a-half years, and in some areas, can take longer.
“So far we have seven teams, and 42 registered participants,” the chapter president noted. “That’s not much. We’re at just over $13,000 (pledged) so far. We need for people to dig deep.”
An all-you-can-eat charity breakfast is being held from 9 am to noon on Sunday, September 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Catharine Avenue in Brantford, with proceeds going to support the kidney walk.
Additionally, the Kidney Clothes office at 45 Dalkeith Drive in Brantford accepts donations of clothing, sporting goods, toys, books and other items that are in turn sold by the pound to Value Village. Proceeds go to benefit kidney research and programs for kidney patients.
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“We ask people for things that they don’t want anyway,” explained Julie Hunt, operations manager. “We are trying to encourage local sports teams, churches, or any non-profits to do a clothing drive to help fundraise. We can help other charities raise money for their concerns and communities.”
Statistics indicate that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease that affects one in 10 Canadians, yet only 35 per cent of eligible donors in Ontario have registered to be an organ donor.
“Six other people out there could have their lives saved because you don’t need your organs,” King noted. “It could be your own kid that may need it one day and all of a sudden, your life is changed.”
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