North Shore Kidney Run aims to raise awareness and funds
North Vancouver's Kelly Knill remembers going hiking as a child with her father.
An avid outdoorsman, he often went hunting and fishing.
Outdoor activity is a little harder these days, however, as Knill's father is hooked up to a dialysis machine every night.
In 2005, the same year Knill started work as a nurse at Lions Gate Hospital, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Seven years later, his cancer is in remission, but his kidneys are failing.
Knill, who has two young children, has decided to go through the process to see if she can donate one of her kidneys to her father.
A month into the donation process, Knill says tests have revealed she and her father are blood and tissue matches. Now more testing must be done and doctors must determine if Knill can safely live with only one kidney for the rest of her life. She says she expects the whole process to take six months.
When asked about the surgery Knill says she's not worried.
"With any surgery there are certain risks, like infection, but I'm not worried. I've had two C-sections."
There is no cure for kidney disease. It is treated with medication, dialysis and sometimes transplant. It is estimated there are 240,000 people in British Columbia who currently have or are at risk for developing kidney disease. Kidney disease can be fatal and it can affect quality of life.
As part of her effort to help raise awareness about kidney disease, Knill is participating in this year's fourth annual North Shore Kidney Run presented by the Kidney Foundation of Canada. The event is set for Sunday, Sept. 23 in Ambleside Park.
For the past three years Knill has raised between $1,000 and $2,000 each year for the Kidney Foundation by participating in the run. Her father's battle with kidney disease is the reason she participates in the fundraiser every year. This year she has a goal of raising $2,000.
Knill says she appreciates the education, support and research funding that the Kidney Foundation makes available.
"It's important to raise awareness for organ donations. I don't know if people know that it's not just a check on your driver's licence anymore, it's an actual form you need to fill out," she says of becoming an organ donor.
With a new kidney, Knill says she hopes her father will regain his strength and be able to have more outdoor adventures.
"I would love for him to take my son fishing, ultimately that would be great," she says.
For more information about the North Shore Kidney Run visit the website at www.northshorekidneyrun.ca
