Kidney recipient ready to walk tip to tip again

http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=125310&sc=118
Kidney recipient ready to walk tip to tip again

Kidney recipient Brian Ellis and his wife, Deborah,
are preparing for his third walk across the province in
support of organ donations. Jim Brown/Journal Pioneer

JIM BROWN
The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE — Summerside kidney recipient Brian Ellis is preparing to hit the road again.

Ellis, 47, was a former dialysis patient whose life was transformed through the gift of a kidney.

He plans to show his appreciation to those who helped him along the way and to raise awareness about the need for signing the organ donor section of drivers’ licences.

“We also want people who sign the forms to talk to family members, make sure they know their intentions,” he said.

Ellis plans to walk a route he knows well, from East Point to North Cape, a distance he estimates at approximately 308 kilometres.

His campaign will begin April 18 at 8 a.m. His ETA for North Cape is April 27.

“We hope to get transplant recipients and donors involved. Anyone who wants to walk is welcome to join me,” said the Arnett Avenue man, whose wife, Deborah Snow, will accompany him by car.

This will be Ellis’s third effort, with the first walk when he was still on dialysis and in frail health.

Ellis received his gift of life at Halifax’s QEII Health Sciences Centre on Aug. 13, 2006.

“I can walk, I can swim, I can do anything a normal person with two kidneys can do. I’m one of the lucky ones. It was a big gift, the best gift I ever received,” said Ellis.

Last year’s walk raised approximately $6,000 for kidney awareness and patient services.

Ellis is timing his walk to promote National Organ and Tissue Donation Week, running the last full week in April.

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Last year, Alex & I joined Brian for a few Kms west of Hunter River and I hope we can do the same this year.

Brian kept a blog last year, Walk 4 Life, and will be blogging this year's walk as well.

If you see Brian out there on the road, between April 18th & 27th,
please give him your moral or monetary support.
A honk & a wave can go a long way and every dollar counts.

From Brian:

HELLO MY FELLOW FOLLOWERS;

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR … I’LL BE ON THE ROAD AGAIN … STARTING BRIGHT ‘N’ EARLY APRIL 18TH AT EAST POINT. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS … LOOKS LIKE IT’S GONNA BE ANOTHER EXCITING WEEK… AND IT’S ALL FOR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR AWARENESS.

LISTON TO K-ROCK AND OCEAN FOR UP TO DATE DETAILS ON WHERE I’LL BE ALONG MY JOURNEY.

102.1 SPUD FM WILL ALSO BE TUNED IN.

I WILL ALSO KEEP MY BLOG UP TO DATE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT MY PROGRESS FIRST HAND.

I AM EXCITED, ONCE AGAIN, TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION. YES … I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE DEVISTATING WAIT FOR MY PRECIOUS GIFT. ON THE OTHER HAND … BECAUSE OF MY DONOR AND MY DONOR FAMILY … I HAVE ALSO BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE THE PURE ELATION OF JOY AND GRATITUDE WHEN SOMEONE COMES THROUGH AND HONORS THEIR LOVED ONES WISHES TO GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE TO A STRANGER. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED AND THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE WAITING LIKE I DID … EVEN LONGER THEN I DID. PLEASE TELL YOUR FAMILY OF YOUR WISHES TO GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE.

… PLEASE WALK WITH ME … IF NOT PHYSICALLY … BE WITH ME IN MIND AND SPIRIT. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

THANK-YOU MY FREINDS

Donations to be received at Scotiabank locations across PEI