Changing lives one door at a time

NEWS RELEASE

KIDNEY FOUNDATION, ONTARIO BRANCH

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Over 8,000 Kidney Foundation volunteers will begin knocking on doors in communities across Ontario beginning March 1, 2015.

Their goal is to help those living with kidney disease and those at risk by raising awareness about the disease and raising funds to support the Kidney Foundation’s mission.



Kidney Foundation volunteer Cathy McIntosh of Windsor has been a March Drive volunteer for 17 years and each year goes the extra mile in her effort to support The Kidney Foundation.

“I have seen first-hand the incredible advances in kidney care,” McIntosh explains. “My husband’s father passed away at age 37 from kidney failure back in 1950s, leaving his young family behind. There was no treatment for kidney disease.” 

She compares that outcome to the experience of her brother, who faced a similar diagnosis many years later.

“Thanks to research and the advances in kidney care, my brother had dialysis and had a much better quality of life.” 



End-stage kidney failure is a permanent, life-changing diagnosis – there is no cure.

Undergoing dialysis treatments numerous times a week takes its toll ... physically, psychologically, and financially, and it can dramatically affect the patient as well as his/her family and friends.

Kidney transplants do represent the best available treatment option, but the waiting list is long, and some people – because of other health conditions – may not be eligible for a transplant.

The Foundation’s goal is to support those affected by kidney disease through education, patient support programs like the Kidney Connect Peer Support program and Kidney Community Kitchen, advocacy, and by funding research to improve understanding of kidney disease and its treatments.

“Awareness is a critical factor in the success of the March Drive campaign,” said Anthony Tirone, Director, Philanthropy and Community Development. “Not only awareness of the campaign itself, but also the opportunity it gives us to educate the public about kidney disease and their risks for developing this life-changing diagnosis.”

For more information or to make a March Drive donation, visit www.marchdrive.ca or contact The Kidney Foundation of Canada at 1-800-387-4474 ext. 4964.

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