In this installment of our ongoing editorial on Canadian charities that do great work with kids (and their parents), and in honour of March being Kidney Health Month, we are shining our light on the Kidney Foundation of Canada.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is a group of volunteers, individuals living with kidney disease, donors and staff members from all walks of life all across Canada working for a common cause – improving the lives of all people affected by kidney disease. An estimated 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease or are at risk, so the folks at the Kidney Foundation of Canada have a lot of people to think about.
This organization provides funding, education, awareness and support around Canada, and since 1964 the organization has donated over $100 million to kidney related research and other fantastic programs, like Kidney Kids Camp. All children awaiting a transplant, or who have received an organ transplant require medical teams to help administer life preserving treatments and deliver life sustaining medication on a daily basis. The logistics and costs for sending the kids and their staff to camp can be overwhelming for parents, but the experience of going to camp like a ‘normal kid’ is worth its weight in gold.
Kidney diseases are ‘silent’ – once the symptoms of the disease is evident, it is often too late for a cure. There are however several ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.
- Keep fit and active
- Keep regular control of your blood sugar level
- Monitor your blood pressure
- Eat healthy and keep your weight in check
- Don’t smoke
For the month of March, thousands of volunteers will be canvassing door to door to raise awareness about the importance of kidney health, and to raise funds. The foundation’s goal is to raise $450,000 to fund research, patient services, public education and awareness of the need for more organ donors. More information on the Kidney Foundation of Canada and special events in your community supporting kidney health month can be found at www.kidney.ca.
If you have a favourite charity that you would love to see profiled, please let us know and if you have any personal stories of how the Kidney Foundation of Canada has impacted you or someone you love we’d love it if you’d share them using the comment functionality at the bottom of this article on the yoyomama site.