Kidney Foundation

A second chance at life

Mark Twain said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

At 20 years old, Marlene Prosser was given a new lease on life. After spending months on dialysis, Marlene’s dad donated his kidney to her.

“My kidneys were failing, and I did not want to be dependent on a machine for the rest of my life. My dad’s kidney kept me alive.”

Kidney disease increasingly took its toll on the entire family, especially her dad. He had difficulty expressing his feelings and usually kept them inside. But sometimes, when he called Marlene at the hospital, she could tell that he was crying.

Never give up hope

Imagine waiting over 10 years for a phone call.

Blair Waldvogel never gave up hope for a kidney transplant, so when he received the news that would change his life, he and his entire family were excited and relieved. A deceased donor who was a match for Blair had been found.

On Dec. 5, 2020, Blair went to Health Sciences Centre, ready to embark on the next chapter of his life. His transplant surgery lasted a few hours but, owing to complications, he stayed in hospital for an additional 11 days. On his road to recovery, he said the medical team was incredible and worked together to deal with any issues.  

“It’s a little surreal waking up and realizing that you have a new, third kidney that’s working.”Living with a new kidney means a lot of adjustments including newfound energy and time and enjoying food cravings.

Dialysis patients urgently need to access vaccine

COVID-19 has significantly added to the challenges faced by dialysis patients. In dealing with the impact, The Kidney Foundation is calling on the provincial and federal government to consider the urgent need for dialysis patients to be immunized quickly as phases of eligibility are applied to those beyond front-line workers.

One of the principles of the government’s recently released COVID-19 vaccination plans is to protect those at greatest risk of serious illness and death from the pandemic. While the province has rightly focused its initial vaccination efforts on front-line health-care workers, residents and essential caregivers at long-term care homes, and Indigenous peoples, the urgent need for kidney dialysis patients must also be included in the plans.

Based on data collected by the Manitoba Renal Program, there are 1,829 adults in Manitoba who are dependent on dialysis treatments; 6,407 more are being treated for chronic kidney disease and there are 348,000 dialysis treatments done in one year.

Although a kidney transplant is an option, not all individuals on dialysis are eligible. But while dialysis can sustain a life, it can also be extremely debilitating and comes with significant physical and emotional strain associated with living with a chronic and potentially fatal disease.

Learn to live your best life with kidney disease

Did you know you can lose up to 90 per cent of your kidney function before experiencing symptoms?

In many cases, the signs of kidney disease aren’t noticed until the kidneys are close to failure.Each year the rate of kidney disease continues to rise.

Every March, the Kidney Foundation promotes Kidney Health month to help raise awareness about the warning signs and risk factors associated with kidney disease. This year, we invite you to participate in our first virtual forum – Living Your Best Life with Kidney Disease.  

Our forum is free and will take place over three days, starting Tues., March 9, and concluding on World Kidney Day - Thurs., March 11.

Be clean and Buy-A-Bean

Launched as a dream in 1998, the Chamois Car Wash and Detail Centre’s love for a sparkling clean vehicle, and eagerness to support their community, comes shining through every time a vehicle enters their bays.

“We believe everyone deserves a high-quality car wash experience,” says Dave Watson, owner of the Chamois. “We are committed to having the highest safety and wash standards, as well as ensuring your vehicle always receives the best care possible.”

Dave notes that the Chamois’ vision — “To be Canada’s leading car-care specialists” — is mirrored by the Kidney Foundation’s vision to support those affected by kidney disease locally and across Canada.  

“Our son, Ryan, was diagnosed with kidney disease, and fortunately is doing well thanks to a kidney transplant,” Dave says. “We wanted to show our support for those affected by kidney disease, so with the help of the Kidney Foundation, we host the Buy-A-Bean campaign.”

Take a closer look at kidney disease

Dialysis and transplant may seem like foreign words to some but for those affected by kidney disease it’s a life line of hope. Marking a new age in kidney awareness, The Kidney Foundation is asking Manitobans to take notice of their kidney health, and to understand the serious life-changing impacts of kidney disease.  The Kidney Foundation has updated information on its newly rebranded website, www.kidney.ca, which reflects the ongoing commitment to be an innovative, dynamic force in improving the lives of one in nine Manitobans.“Kidney disease is more common than you think. Over 134,000 adults and 8,600 children and teens in Manitoba are living with chronic kidney disease and the numbers continue to rise,” says Val Dunphy, executive director of the Kidney Foundation, Manitoba branch. “We are committed to kidney health, optimal quality of life, and a cure for kidney disease.”This vision of quality kidney care guides the Kidney Foundation to be a collaborative, inventive and focused leader in the development of programs, services, research opportunities and awareness campaigns. Together with your support, the Kidney Foundation can continue to make vast improvements that will have a positive impact on the thousands of Manitobans living with, or at risk of developing, kidney disease. The Manitoba branch offers programs such as short-term financial assistance, Kidney Connect peer support, an education bursary, as well as other patient-centred initiatives to improve the lives of people affected by kidney disease, such as Stephanie and Donald. “When my husband, Donald, was diagnosed with kidney disease, we faced an incredible financial burden. We were travelling four-hours round trip, three times a week, for dialysis treatment. The medications, equipment rental fees, and occasional overnight accommodations were really adding up,” Stephanie says. “We didn’t know how we were going to make ends meet but luckily we had the Kidney Foundation to turn to for support.”Armando Versace, director of programs, policy and communications at the Kidney Foundation, asks people to “imagine finding out your newborn baby is in renal failure or working your whole life towards retirement only to find out your time and life savings would be spent keeping you alive on dialysis.”Kidney disease can affect anyone at any time in their life — from birth to retirement — and it affects more than just the individual. The whole family feels the burden. It can be overwhelming for patients and their families, and that’s why we are here offering support to the kidney community. Our look may have changed, but our commitment to kidney care hasn’t.”  

Dialysis and transplant may seem like foreign words to some but for those affected by kidney disease it’s a life line of hope. Marking a new age in kidney awareness, The Kidney Foundation is asking Manitobans to take notice of their kidney health, and to understand the serious life-changing impacts of kidney disease.  

The Kidney Foundation has updated information on its newly rebranded website, www.kidney.ca, which reflects the ongoing commitment to be an innovative, dynamic force in improving the lives of one in nine Manitobans.

Moving forward with patience

Joanne McMahon did everything she could to delay the onset of dialysis.

Her journey with kidney disease began at age 32, when a kidney biopsy had her diagnosed with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis — a form of kidney disease likely caused by an infection.

“I attended dialysis preparation classes, followed a kidney-friendly diet, and took medications as prescribed,” Joanne says.

In 2017, 33 years after her initial diagnosis, Joanne began peritoneal dialysis. Coping with a chronic disease can be overwhelming for many. For Joanne, education, knowledge, and support from her husband Wade keeps her moving forward.

Join Grady’s Gang at the Kidney Walk

Grady James Batchelor entered the world on July 26, 2012, peeing on all the doctors seconds after his delivery.

His parents, Karlee and Graham Batchelor, had known about Grady’s birth defect since halfway through their pregnancy. While in utero, Grady’s bladder had been preventing urine from being able to empty, which had caused fluid pressure to build up in his body. While he was able to relieve pressure occasionally, the prognosis was that he may need surgery at birth to repair the valves causing the partial blockage.

The family’s joy of being first-time parents was masked by sorrow and desperation for the health of their baby boy when, at two days old, Grady was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney failure. Dialysis was in their future, and, eventually, so would be a transplant.

The doctors continued to tweak Grady’s medications — balancing his blood levels and increasing his fluids to help ease the stress on his body — and after a month in hospital, Grady finally got to go home.