Central Coast residents are being asked to don their red socks and step out on their own or with friends to help those living with kidney disease.
The Kidney Health Red Socks Appeal was launched on November 2, with participants asked to take on a 60km challenge during the month of November, in support of those living with the daily challenges of the debilitating and deadly disease.
The 60km is in support of the 60 hours a person with kidney disease would spend on a dialysis machine, on average, every month.
Kidney Health Australia, the peak body for kidney disease, is hoping to raise vital funds for early detection activities and support services.
For those keen to take on a more extreme challenge, the Red Socks Appeal also offers a 150km challenge – the equivalent of 30 dialysis sessions a month.
Kidney Health Australia Chief Executive Officer, Chris Forbes, said of the 1.7 million Australians affected by kidney disease, 1.5 million are unaware they are living with the early signs of the disease.
“The shocking fact about kidney disease is that a person can lose up to 90% of their kidney function before any symptoms are apparent,” Forbes said.
“A person could be relatively fine one day and the next they could be in hospital facing a life sentence of continuous dialysis or on a transplant list, waiting for a suitable kidney donor.
“We need to prevent people reaching this point, so the Red Sock Appeal is also a great opportunity to raise more awareness around the impact this disease has on people’s lives and that of their families and drive early detection.
“In this age of COVID-19, we’ve made sure the event has something for everyone – if people can’t get out to roam, run or ride to raise money, they can still wear red socks and support us in their living rooms and on social media – this is a community event that everyone can get behind.”
Fitness Australia is supporting the appeal and promoting the message around kidney disease and kidney health to its 26,000-strong membership.
Register at kidney.org.au/redsocksappeal
Source:
Media release, Nov 3
Kidney Health Australia