A heartwarming success story in the Ottawa Valley is an encouraging sign for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.
Senior Regional Manager of Community and Fund Development, Jennifer Heale, says the packed Horton Community Centre crowd that recently celebrated local student Lucas Gillan and his donor, Debbie, following their live kidney transplant is proof that living organ donation can make a difference in a community, even if most people are still unaware that living organ donations are possible.
She says the friends and neighbours who came to the aid of Lucas after the Gillan family embarked on a social media campaign to find a viable donor nails home that there are opportunities for people who have been waiting years for a matching kidney, tissue, or stem cells that could save lives right now.
It also highlights the importance of knowing the risks that come with a family history of kidney disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes and getting screened early so you can take preventative measures to keep organs functional.
Heale says the Kidney Foundation has supports in place, including information on kidney health, the donation process, and ways that people in need of a transplant can get help such as a series of support groups that give you the chance to connect with peers who live with or are affected by kidney disease.
While the average risk of kidney disease in Canadians is 1 in every 10 people, Heale says the risk for people of Indigenous or Afro-Caribbean descent grows to 1 in every 3 people, increasing the urgency to get screened early.
(written by Kasey Egan)
