Legacy of Hope aims to make a difference for kidney patients

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - For several years, Legacy of Hope has worked throughout the state of Alabama to connect families of organ donors with those who need them. Director of Education Ann Rayburn says one of the biggest needs across the state is kidney donation.

“We have 1,200 people in our state waiting for an organ transplant but almost 1,000 of those individuals are waiting for a kidney so we have a large number of folks with kidney disease, so the need is really great,” said Legacy of Hope Director of Education Ann Rayburn.

According to the Alabama Kidney Foundation 14,000 people from Alabama are currently on dialysis. But for those suffering from chronic kidney disease, dialysis may only do so much.

“Sometimes dialysis is not effective for them and sometimes the only option is they have a kidney transplant, “said Rayburn.

Nine-year old Logan is one of those who lived on dialysis for a while before getting a transplant. Today he is thriving and gets to enjoy all the same things other kids do.

“Nintendo, I just like to pretend I’m on Messi’s team,” said Logan.

But imagine the outcome is someone had not donated that kidney.

Rayburn says sometimes the wait for a new kidney can take years, but after donating one of her kidneys to a friend, she knows firsthand how much of a difference it can make.

“I was thrilled. I’ve known folks that are on dialysis and it’s a wonderful technology but it’s not really the way I wanted her to have to live,” added Rayburn. “So, for her to have that independence and her health, I’m healthy, it’s like I never did it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

This Saturday the Alabama Kidney Foundation will have their annual kidney walk and celebration to raise funds and bring more awareness to the needs of kidney patients. It’s all to benefit low-income dialysis patients but it’s also a reminder that anyone can be impacted by kidney disease.

“We never know who we’re going to help, we never going to know who’s going to need something and so it’s a way to be a community. Who are the people that donate? People like us,” said Rayburn. “Who are the people that need? People like us. So do we have an opportunity to help somebody it could be a friend it could be a stranger, but you can make a tremendous difference.”

The Alabama Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Walk and Celebration is this Saturday at UMS-Wright. Registration starts at 8 a-m and the walk will start at 9:00.

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