Dear Editor:
Nearly two million people in the New York/New Jersey area have kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. That’s 1 in 9 adults. I know how kidney disease affects people’s lives because it happened to my family.
My mom was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) over 10 years ago. For years she fought with medication and dialysis. Dialysis left her constantly exhausted, her arms bloody and bruised from the needles. When dialysis was no longer enough, she needed a transplant. She hated to ask me and my other siblings, but we just wanted her to live! After rigorous testing, I was chosen as the kidney donor for my mom. But kidney disease had already taken its toll –my mom died only three days after we scheduled the transplant.
On October 5, I will do my part to remember my mom and help fight the disease that took her life. Join me at National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York’s Kidney Walk at Riverside park in New York City and help raise awareness about the silent killer that is kidney disease. For more information about the Kidney Walk, contact NKF of Greater New York at 800-622-9010 or log onto www.NKFofGreaterNY.org.
Sincerely,
Tracy Nahas
Hoboken