By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—The Kidney Foundation of Canada has kicked off a nationwide initiative called the #SixDegreesChallenge, designed to shine a spotlight on kidney health and to raise funds to support Canadians affected by kidney disease.
“Four million Canadians – that’s one in 10 – live with kidney disease. Despite being vital organs, kidneys are all too often overlooked or ignored as part of our overall health,” said Dr. Norman Muirhead, President of the Kidney Foundation’s Ontario Branch. “That is, until someone you love is affected.”
Those interested in showing support can do so by putting up a photo on social media of themselves holding up six fingers, called “throwing up the six”, to share their connection to kidney disease, and tag six friends in the post.
“I’m part of the Six Degrees Challenge because I live with kidney disease,” said Craig Lindsey, Director of Patient Programs and Services for the Kidney Foundation. “I know most people aren’t aware how common kidney disease can be…. For many people, the first indication they have problems with their kidneys comes much too late to do anything about it.”
Lindsey said there are many things you can do you protect your kidneys “while they are still healthy,” including eating right, staying active, managing your blood pressure, and understanding your risk of developing kidney disease.
“I live with kidney disease and while I now have a new kidney (and pancreas) from a transplant several years ago, I know I need to still look after this tremendous ‘gift of life’. When I was diagnosed with kidney failure years ago it hit me hard. My entire life changed. I was no longer strong enough to work, and I could not do many of the things I enjoyed most in life. Living on dialysis can be challenging. I went to the hospital three times a week for treatments that lasted four hours each time. I felt alone, anxious, depressed, and I started to lose hope for my future as a husband and father,” recalled Lindsey.
He continued, “Struggling on dialysis brought me to the Kidney Foundation. They have a great peer support program that let me talk directly to someone just like me – a person on dialysis, coping with the demands of eating a very specific diet, keeping my body active even when I had no energy. It helped to talk with someone about how I was feeling. It’s the reason I wanted to volunteer with, and now work for, the Kidney Foundation.”
Lindsey encouraged people to visit the Kidney Foundation’s website, where they can do a simple risk assessment quiz: “If you are at risk, we can help you get answers to staying healthy and protecting your kidneys. There’s so much you can do when you have the knowledge to make good decisions around your kidney health.”
He said initiatives like the #SixDegreeChallenge are important because it “helps for people to know that if they are living with kidney disease that they’re not alone. It touches us all in some way. That’s what Six Degrees means to me.”
World Kidney Day is March 10. On that day the foundation will host a 24-hour day of giving. Donations can be made online at sixdegreechallenge.com, or by calling 1-800-387-4474 throughout the month.
All funds raised will go towards programming and services for Canadians impacted by kidney disease and to fund kidney research that will improve treatment and ultimately lead to a cure.
