To coincide with World Kidney Day The Countess Charity are launching a new appeal for two new dialysis machines for use in the Renal Unit.
The target is £26,000.
There are 21 machines in total at The Countess of Chester Hospital that need replacing on a rolling programme.
The benefit of having a good number of machines is that patients have a minimum time to wait and with dialysis being such a long process to start with any time saved is valuable.
Community fundraiser Angie Lopez said: “I have always known about kidney dialysis but in researching for this appeal I have been amazed and so impressed with how the patients deal with the challenge that being on dialysis is.
“The staff on the unit work hard to create a cheerful atmosphere and as the patients are in so often they really get to know them and their families.”
The machines are used by 68 patients (18 years +) who attend for three times each week for four hours. This works out at 3.5 weeks of every year including waiting times.
Dialysis is life sustaining treatment to remove the toxins from the body and replaces the work that the kidneys do.
Treatment is ever improving so people are able to be treated for longer than in previous decades.
Whilst on the dialysis machine the body experiences the same impact as running a marathon and the patient has to recover from the treatment.
A patients story:
Sarah Charker is age 39 and started with renal failure when she was 29.
Sarah said: “I was 29 when my kidneys started to deteriorate due to pregnancy and my diabetes and 39 when I started dialysis due to being in intensive care with sepsis which shut my kidneys down, my lovely little boy is eight and his name is Leo.”
Sarah needs dialysis three times a week, dialysis lasts from four to six hours each day and requires the same energy and exertion as if she had run a marathon of 26 miles, the days in between dialysis Sarah is recovering, life is very different for Sarah and her little eight year old son Leo, she tries to fit dialysis around taking and collecting Leo from school.
Sarah is waiting patiently for a kidney and pancreas transplant but until that time she must come for her dialysis at the Countess every other day.
Angie Lopez said: “Life is not easy for kidney patients or for those that care for kidney patients. We want to maintain 21 dialysis machines at The Countess – if you can help in any way please contact me on 01244 366672 or angie.lopes@nhs.net. Maybe you can organise an event or make a donation to the appeal, or get your club or group involved in some way, I would love to hear from you.”
