2024 Austin Kidney Walk takes place Oct. 27
AUSTIN, Texas - The annual Austin Kidney Walk is this weekend. Hundreds of people will come together to raise awareness about kidney disease and money for supportive and educational programs.
Brian Sanchez, with the National Kidney Foundation serving Texas, joined FOX 7 Austin's Rebecca Thomas to discuss.
REBECCA: So the CDC estimates about 35.5 million Americans have kidney disease. What's scary, though, is about 90% don't know they have it because they may not have symptoms until the disease is advanced. Ryan, talk about the work of the National Candy Foundation, what it does to help get people screened and educated about this.
BRIAN: Sure. Kidney disease is often called the silent killer because symptoms tend to not really develop until you're closer to the end stage. And so a lot of the work that we do at the National Kidney Foundation is awareness and education. We try to advocate for patients. It's very important that as a patient, when you see your primary care doctor to ask for your analysis, to ask to be screened. And then part of the work that we do here in Texas is that we go out into the community and we try to provide those kinds of health care services. We try to get people in front of nephrologists who are, you know, out there and trying to meet with them and get that kind of one on one education in touch that they might not otherwise be able to have. We also have a lot of patient services. We have our patient symposiums, our professional services, professional symposiums. So we do a lot in the community as much as we can.
REBECCA: In early diagnosis is obviously very important, but getting a diagnosis can be scary. It can mean a lot of doctors visits, hospitalizations, and sometimes the need for dialysis and a kidney transplant. How is the UNCf here to help people navigate living with kidney disease?
BRIAN: Sure. So we offer the entire peers program. And so that is a national hotline that anyone can call into if they have questions about their diagnosis. We also provide additional education and material on kidney.org. And so that's a really great resource for anyone can go on there and learn more about their diagnosis. Learn more about the steps through transplantation dialysis. And we really try to put as much current and up to date research out there as we can so that anyone can have that, you know, easy access at their fingertips of that information.
REBECCA: And it takes money to offer these free programs to people. One of the knock-offs and the biggest fundraisers, of course, is the annual kidney walk. I'll be seeing the Austin kidney walk again this year. It's a great event. It brings the community together. Brian, talk about the goals for this Sunday's walk along with details people need to know to walk or donate or better. Both.
BRIAN: Sure. So, I mean, the kidney walk is really an open to the public. You know, we invite everyone to to join us. And, you know, part of it is education. Part of it is also having people that have kidney disease to attend. We've had so many success stories of people who have been looking for transplants, meeting other people, looking for transplants, and they've been able to network and use the walk as a way to to find a donor. It's also just a day of celebration, a day of community coming together and and facing this disease and raising funds to hopefully one day bring it to an end.
REBECCA: And if people want to take part again, it's at the pitch in East Austin this Sunday. What's the rundown?
BRIAN: Yes. So 8 a.m. is check in, and then we'll have our opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. And then it's a full five K walk, although there is a one-mile turnaround if you don't wanna do the full five K. And yeah, it's going to be a really great big day of celebration music, lots of great vendors and partners. So we invite everyone in the community to join us.
REBECCA: All right. Brian Sanchez with the National Kidney Foundation serving Texas. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us. And we will see you on Sunday.