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The Southport Kidney Fund
(Registered Charity: 510320)
The aim of the Southport Kidney Fund is to give assistance to kidney patients in the area in any way that will make their difficult lives more comfortable and many of our helpers have personal knowledge of the strain and anxiety caused by kidney disease.
A patient who is on dialysis has to spend approximately four hours on a machine three times every week in order to survive, or until a transplant is possible. As there is no renal unit in the Southport area, patients have to travel to Liverpool to see their specialist or to dialyse and the fund has volunteer drivers who drive patients to or from one of the five hospitals which have renal units.
A further aim of the fund is to support the Merseyside Kidney Research (MKR) where four doctors are engaged in research work so vital in the search for a cure for kidney disease and several pieces of equipment have been purchased by the fund for use by this association.
Equipment has also been donated by the fund to Southport General Infirmary, to the Children's Renal Unit at Alder Hey Hospital, to Waterloo Hospital and Mossley Hill Hospital for the benefit of kidney patients.
About 7000 people every year develop kidney failure in the UK
It accounts for some 9000 deaths each year
160,000 sufferers are currently in its grasp
Kidney disease can strike anyone of any age at any time
If you would like to help with the work of the fund in any way, perhaps as a driver or fundraiser, or wish to make a donation, please contact one of our committee members.
Mrs J Coleman - 1 The Hollies, Beechfield Gardens, Southport - 01704 560824
Mrs P Carr - 51 Ferryside Lane, Crossens, Southport - 01704 220951
Mr L Sharples - 14 Grange Avenue, Southport - 01704 537469
Mr N Bentley - 1a Clarence Road, Birkdale, Southport - 01704 563051
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Figures from Kidney Research UK state that there are over 3 million people suffering from kidney disease at any one time. There is no cure. Once you go on dialysis, you face a lifetime of drug therapy and alternating periods of dialysis and transplantation. The average life of a kidney transplant is currently 7 years. That means that children who suffer kidney failure have a long journey of treatment for their whole lifetime.
Again, this year we will have information from UK Transplant available at Acoustica and, hopefully, a transplant coordinator from the Liverpool Royal University Hospital will be on hand to explain anything you are not sure of and to reassure anyone of the actual process of being a live donor or a deceased donor.
Lets get as many people signed up to the register as we can on the day. Now we are getting a dialysis unit in Southport, we need to start supporting our patients. If anyone would like to be a collector or steward for Acoustica, please let us know at:-
debbski@lineone.net
or you can contact me on:-
01704 224542
07745167775 both after 6pm
Here are some other sites which you may find interesting:-
www.kidneyresearchuk.org
www.kidney.org.uk
www.uktransplant.org.uk
www.britishkidney-pa.co.uk
These are the four biggest organisations dealing with kidney disease in the UK.
There are approximately 60 registered charities currently in the UK raising money for this cause. Lets help to raise awareness of this terminal condition and in doing so, create the platform for more research into better treatments and possible cures.
See you at Acoustica!
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