Kidney News

Latest Kidney Community News - May 2013 - click graphic to view

*   Welcome from our CEO - Anne Wilson
* Government Live Organ Donor Leave scheme announced – an update
         - Register on Guest Book to leave your message of support. Tell us you story of live organ donation.
* Ground-breaking news: Kidney grown in lab
* Medical Matters - ‘1 in 3 Australians is at increased risk of kidney disease’
         - Take the test to see if you are at increased risk of kidney disease at www.checkmykidneys.com.au
*   The 15th National Kidney Kids Camp - largest to date!
* New Home Dialysis resource launched
*   Challenges for rural dialysis patients highlighted in new fact sheet
*   A note from a dialysis patient: how we cope
*   New Home Dialysis resource launched
*   Dialysis unit showcases do-it-yourself dialysis wear
*   Meet the Vintage Adventurer
*   Kidney Health Australia with One Deadly Step Program
*   Research opportunities:
       -  Have you been diagnosed with Secondary Hyperthyroidism? Are you currently on dialysis?
       - Seeking Autosomal Dominant Polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) - Consumers and Carers.
*   Lifestyle Recipe: Diabetes, CKD friendly - Spanish chicken and rice

Kidney Calendar and Events 2013
May to June: DonateLife Services of Remembrance www.donatelife.gov.au
5 to 11 May: National Heart Week www.heartattackfacts.org.au
10 May: World Lupus Day wear orange to bring attention to Lupus and kidneys
26 May to 1 June: Kidney Health Week help us spread the word, order your resources now!
     -    1 in 3 Australians is at increased risk of kidney disease.
     -   Undetected, untreated kidney disease is a silent killer!

Archives: Previous Kidney Community News>

CALLS TO ACTION

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KIDNEY NEWS - HIGHLIGHTS

Archived KHA Press & Media Releases>

15 April 2013: Sir Jack Brabham visits 'very special' Redland Bay Kidney Kids Camp
Sir Jack and Lady Brabham joined 80 children with kidney disease and their siblings from around Australia at Kidney Health Australia's 15th annual National Kidney Kids Camp in Redland Bay. Read media>

8 April 2013: March highest month on record for deceased organ donations
Kidney Health Australia today welcomes the announcement that March has resulted in the highest month for deceased organ donation rates in Australian recorded history, and that the first quarter of 2013 represented a 55 per cent improvement on last year's results. Read media>

7 April 2013: The Australian Government announced a new two year pilot of a national Live Organ Donor Leave Scheme: This was a key plank of Kidney Health Australia’s most recent policy submissions to Government. Kidney Health Australia’s CEO, Ms Anne Wilson said: “Today’s announcement is a big win for those with kidney disease and represents something we have been advocating for inclusion in the Federal budget.” The pilot scheme will provide up to six weeks paid leave at minimum wage to employers, who pass it on to eligible employees who become live organ donors. Read media>
Refer to our Policy and Advocacy page onsite, to read submissions from Kidney Health Australia.

3 April 2013: A long way to go - The challenges of kidney disease for rural Australians
Kidney Health Australia, in collaboration with the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), is pleased to announce that a new NRHA fact sheet on kidney disease in rural Australia has been developed and is now available online. The fact sheet is designed to outline the status of kidney disease in rural Australia and highlight the unique challenges that rural Australians face in seeking ongoing management and treatment including: limited opportunities to undertake dialysis close to home, the requirement to travel greater distances for specialist consultations, and challenges relating to infrastructure and costs to enable home dialysis. It’s therefore unsurprising that the survival of patients on dialysis is worse in rural and regional areas, when compared to Australian’s living in urban areas. Read media>

TOPICS OF INTEREST - KIDNEY COMMUNITY NEWS

Gold Coast Vintage Adventurer raises funds to ensure dialysis patients can have adventures of their own!
Kidney Health Australia is thrilled to announce commencement of work on the Kidney Campervan ‘Travel Freedom on Dialysis’ Program. This project will provide those on dialysis with the opportunity to holiday in dialysis friendly fitted out Kidney Campervans. This holiday dialysis initiative is being made possible through a large start up donation from the Wade Family, from the Gold Coast, whose initial $50,000 pledge made this project a reality. Read media>

The Vintage Adventurer: Peking to Paris Rally 2013 - supporting the 'Travel Freedom on Dialysis' Program - click link to the Kidney Health Australia Everyday Hero fundraising page to donate!
The Vintage Adventurer's efforts in the Peking to Paris Rally and funds raised as part of this adventure, will build project funds for the ‘Travel Freedom on Dialysis’ Program. Every extra dollar raised will help put a fleet of 'Kidney Campervans' on the road, providing important respite or holiday for dialysis patients.

Winner of 2013 FilmLife Project for DonateLife - Miss Brooke Huuskes, Melbourne
The FilmLife project is all about using the arts to encourage the discussion of organ and tissue donation among young people (16-28 year olds being the target audience and also the age of the film makers). Congratulations to winner of 2013 FilmLife project - Brooke Huuskes, who wrote, directed and produced the film clip! Brooke is also a Kidney Health Australia PhD Scholarship awardee and a kidney transplant recipient. Her research focuses on developing stem cell based therapies to treat hydronephrosis (her condition) as part of her PhD.

Miss Brooke Huuskes - supervised by A/Prof Sharon Ricardo (Science) Link to KHA medical research 2013
Monash immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories - Monash University - "Investigating the use of stem cells in conjunction with anti-fibrotic treatment to reverse scarring of the kidney". View her winning film entry - a meaningful parody on the well known Gotye hit, renamed 'Somebody That I'll Never Know'! You may also be interested in viewing all FilmLife video submissions>.

DonateLife Victoria - Service of Remembrance - Saturday 25 May 2013
Will be held at the RMIT, Storey Hall Auditorium, Building 16, 336 Swanston Street, Melbourne on Saturday 25 May 2013 commencing at 2pm (doors open from 1.15pm). Check for Thanksgiving events in your area> or phone DonateLife Victoria on 03 8317 7400.

Consumer Corner: Richard takes on Europe - read about Richard's journey>
Richard was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2001 and received a kidney from his mother in early 2003. Unfortunately this donated kidney rejected early this year and Richard has been on peritoneal dialysis (PD) since March 2012, but this didn't stop Richard's dreams of travel.

Luke Toy - KHA's National Manager for Government Relations & Health
As Kidney Health Australia’s National Manager for Government Relations, my role is to engage with, inform and persuade those in the Government sphere - be it members of parliament, Government departments or agencies - to further improve national public health policy from a kidney perspective. By working to raise the profile and awareness of Kidney Health Australia, and more importantly kidney disease, in the eyes of key decision-makers, highlighting key issues which those with kidney disease face daily, we can work with Government and elected representatives to identify areas that can be improved through better policy, legislation or funding. See Policy and Advocacy to read submissions to date.

Our BIG RED Kidney Bus
Kidney Health Australia presents the BIG RED Kidney Bus, which will be located at popular holiday destinations in Victoria for 4-6 weeks at a time, to enable families with someone on dialysis, to take a break away from their hospital or satellite dialysis service. Currently this is almost impossible. We need your help for the fit out of our first bus - donate now to Kidney Health Australia.

Find out more about the BIG RED KIDNEY BUS program - call Jo Fairbairn, Community Education and Health Promotion Manager, on 03 9674 4315 or email jo.fairbairn@kidney.org.au

UPDATED 16 MAY 2013