Kindness to Kidneys (for Dialysis patients)

Hi. My name is Jillian from Metro Manila, Philippines. For more than 3 and a half years, my grandfather has been undergoing dialysis. Through those years of accompanying him, I was honored with the chance to meet other dialysis patients and learn about each of their life stories. A lot of them, if not most, struggle with the finances of the procedure. With abnormally functioning (others almost completely failing) kidneys, dialysis procedure is a definite necessity. However, as the costs are high, not everyone who significantly needs it actually gets to avail of it.

I am starting this fundraiser to help out my grandfather's co-patients in the center where he undergoes dialysis. While it is my grandfather who is the real patient, and I a mere companion of his, these patients from different walks of life have become dear to me. With 4 to 5 hours of waiting every session, it allowed me to get to know others who are undergoing the same condition as my grandfather that in a way continuously help me to understand better what they were all going through.

The thing about having kidney problems in my country is it's very costly to address. The cost of one dialysis session ranges from P2,800 - P4,000. While it is always easy to "forego" a session or two, the consequences of such decision can be crucial to the patient. However, many have no other choice because they struggle with making ends meet. For a person with kidney failure, dialysis treatment becomes his "new kidneys" - responsible for removing excess fluids and harmful toxins from the body that will otherwise be stuck in the system causing the patient to bloat and have a hard time breathing (or worst, die).

Quoting a statement from blogger Julius (also a dialysis patient):

"Dialysis treatment, or most medical conditions for that matter, is not fully subsidized here in the Philippines. Although government agencies like Philhealth and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) provides assistance and financial aid to patients, it still falls short on dialysis patients’ financial needs. Some of my fellow patients on the clinic where I go cut on their treatment frequency."

In behalf of my grandfather, and other dialysis patients, we seek for your help by donating any amount that could possibly be an extension of their lives. The donations that will be collected here will be used to sponsor dialysis patients in the same center as my grandfather who badly need the treatment but do not have the means to afford it. The donations will be used to pay either for the session itself or for needed medicines (Eposino injections, Renvela tablets, etc.). I will be posting photos/receipts/testimonials from the sponsored patient/s to prove that the money was used for the said cause. We truly hope you can be one with me, with us in extending "KINDESS to KIDNEYS" and making this fundraiser a success.

Thank you very much and may God bless us all!