Medicine Hat's Kidney Walk has been held annually for a number of years, however the last in-person walk took place in 2019, with virtual walks being conducted through the years 2020-2022.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Hatters are celebrating life, health and hope this weekend at the Kidney Foundation of Canada’s annual Kidney Walk.
Taking place Sunday at Medicine Hat College, the walk aims to increase awareness of kidney diseases and the need of organ donors, as well as raise community and financial support for those affected.
“The more people that we can get out, the more awareness we bring (and) that’s so important,” Hatter Monica Vanderhorst said.
A longtime walk supporter and frequent participant, Vanderhorst knows better than most the need for greater awareness, as she herself has Alport Syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disease, as does her 21-year-old son Brendan, who is on dialysis and awaiting a kidney transplant.
“When Brendan was about four or five, he started complaining about pain and in his lower back,” said Vanderhorst. “So, I took him to the doctor, and he had some blood tests done and they found something in there … Then they did a kidney biopsy and he, at that point, was diagnosed with the Alport Syndrome.
“(Alport Syndrome) can kind of show itself from nowhere or it can be a hereditary, and they wanted to figure out how it came about for him, so they did a kidney biopsy on me and found out that I also have it.”
A condition known to affect men more severely than women, Brendan’s Alport Syndrom was relatively stable through his youth, but progressed rapidly in his later teens. Recently he was informed his kidneys are failing and he needs a transplant.
Upon hearing the news, Brendan’s stepfather Chris Miller offered to be a potential donor and, by a stroke of luck, was discovered to be a match. The transplant is set for June 28.
“This kind of come up on Brendan out of nowhere,” Vanderhorst said. “So, we’ve just discovered along the way, over the last few months, how special this is.
“The reality is that Brendan could be waiting for years, if not for Chris, (as) there aren’t enough donors.”
In Canada, 76 per cent of patients awaiting an organ transplant are in need of a kidney, yet need outweighs supply both through deceased and living donors.
The estimated wait time for a transplant from a deceased donor is 3.5 years, which is sometimes too long for those in immediate need, Canada’s Kidney Foundation said in a recent press release.
“There are so many people out there, especially (those with) kidney disease, who are waiting for something that may never come,” said Vanderhorst. “That’s why it’s so important, not just for us, but for so many people … more awareness is brought to kidney donation and kidney disease.”
Joyce Van Deurzen, executive director of the Kidney Foundation of Canada Southern Alberta, agrees and says the Kidney Walk is an excellent way to do so.
“These past three years have proven there are no limits to how our community will continue to support one another and this cause,” Van Deursen said, referencing Hatters’ dedication to virtual walks through the pandemic.
The walk sets off from the college at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 9 a.m.
Registration is free, however donations are welcome, with funds going to support local families affected by kidney disease, as well as Kidney Foundation programs and services in southern Alberta.
The walk is 2.75 kilometres, though participants are welcome to complete more than one lap if they so choose.
For more information, or to pre-register, visit kidneywalk.ca.
