NKF Walk 2023 - Nor Cal
According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) one in seven adults living in the US battle the daily risks of living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as renal disease. There are an estimated 37 million people in the US who have been diagnosed with CKD and require access to daily care that is often costly, time consuming, and inaccessible based on their location.
What is CKD?
While there are different stages of chronic kidney disease it is a condition characterized by the gradual loss of kidney function as a result of inherited genetics, diet, obstruction of the urinary track, lupus, and more. When a kidney fails, navigating treatment can be a scary and life changing process for everyone involved.
Before a CKD diagnosis, most people are often uneducated about renal failure unless they have a family member who already receives kidney care. Treatment requires daily hemodialysis – the process of cleaning blood - unless a kidney transplant can be matched and provided to the individual. It is important to remember that no one is immune to CKD and people of all ages can be diagnosed with CKD at any point in time.
One of the major goals of the NKF’s annual Kidney Walk is to raise the public awareness of the needs in the CKD community while hosting a walkathon to gather money to support the individuals and families who are faced with the life altering changes brought with this disease. It is also a day to have fun and celebrate those who have made the choice to live by seeking treatment.
The biggest barrier to the CKD community is kidney transplant availability. There are many components of giving or receiving a kidney donation that make it impossible for a loved one to give one of their kidneys directly to someone they know with kidney disease. Kidneys must be matched to their recipients and - even when a match is made -problems can occur that make the body reject the transplant entirely. Those who make the choice to become a kidney recipient are often put on lists and spend years waiting for a match.
When living with kidney disease, every second counts. The NKF offers information resources and classes that educate people on how to sign up for a kidney donation or become a living donor themselves. They help match living doners with kidney recipients and provide resources for the CKD community and the general public. The NKF funds research and kidney innovation while supporting caregivers and organizations like Satellite Healthcare, a California-based not-for-profit kidney care company.
Satellite Healthcare was one of the primary sponsors of the Northern California NKF walk, bringing in volunteers, supplies, and a whopping $9,412 in donations. The walk took place at PayPal Park in San Jose on the morning of June 11th and the participants raised $178,074 for the CKD community.
The top fundraisers, “Team Nick”, raised $29,475, exceeding their goal of $15,000. Team Nick was started by the Micheletos family, who are walking to support their son, Nick Micheletos in his battle with CKD. They believe that he will need a kidney transplant one day. They walked in “support the lifechanging work of the National Kidney foundation: to ensure that families will have a place to turn when they need answers. To keep up the fight for policy changes to protect kidney patients and living donors. To drive innovation in transplantation and get more loved ones off the kidney transplant waitlist.”
There are many people fighting every day for themselves, families, and bodily autonomy. The effects of CKD are life changing and difficult to navigate without the right information. The National Kidney Foundation partners with local kidney care providers to host the NKF walk to help raise money for families like the Micheletos. They provide people with the tools to understand and overcome the challenges brought by renal disease. The NKF walk happens in over 60 communities and is meaningful to everyone involved. You can learn more about the National Kidney Foundation at their website here.
