Raising awareness for organ donation

Kidney disease is an issue that affects millions of Canadians. The number of people being treated for kidney failure has more than tripled in the last twenty years. There is no cure for it, but there are treatments to help people live a long and fulfilling life.

Most neighbours share a cup of sugar at most between one another, but for Breanna Elliotson and Gilbert Lizotte, there’s a much stronger connection. He gave her one of his kidneys.

“We can live healthy on one kidney and i have two and she had none. I didn’t think about it,” said Gilbert Lizotte, who donated his kidney.

“He saved my life and I can keep on doing all these awesome things. I can volunteer and work and go to school. I can do all of those things and I don’t have to go to dialysis every week and there’s just so much more stuff I can do and appreciate more,” said Breanna Elliotson.

This second attempt at a kidney transplant worked and Elliotson is not taking her new lease on life for granted. Each year she hosts a barbeque and garage sale to bring awareness to kidney disease and organ donation.

It might also shorten wait times by getting the word out about organ donation.

Breanna says this event is not only about raising funds for kidney disease research, but it’s also about educating people. One in ten Canadians has kidney disease and out of the more than 4,500 Canadians on the waiting list for an organ transplant, 80 per cent are waiting for a kidney.

“A lot of people don’t realize that kidney disease is as prevalent as it is in Canada. Things like this increase awareness just about the fundraising efforts and helping fund research and patient programming. It’s just understanding that people are at risk and looking after your health starts with you and being cognizant of what you need to do,” said Jennifer Fraser of the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Lizotte says life with one kidney is no different than with two and that giving one of his to Elliotson was just as much a gift to himself as it was to her.

“You can live healthily on one kidney and, trust me, you will feel fantastic for doing what you have done for another human being,” said Lizotte.

Elliotson says each year there is more and more support for the event. This year it surpassed its goal and raised nearly $2,700 which is going towards a total donation her team will be submitting in September at the kidney walk.

All proceeds from that go directly to research in Ontario and to support patient programming and services. This year is the 50th anniversary of the kidney foundation of Canada with more than 40 walks going on across the province in September.

For more information, visit www.kidney.ca/ontario.