Walking with Brian Ellis on his Walk 4 Life

Alex & I joined Brian Ellis today on his 3rd annual, tip-to-tip, Walk 4 Life. Brian, a kidney transplant recipient, is on his yearly walk to raise awareness for the Kidney Foundation of Canada and promote organ & tissue donation.

We met Alex today in Brookfield and accompanied him on the 6.1Km hilly stretch of Highway #2 from there to Hunter River. It was a beautiful day for it - sunny & 16 degrees C. with hardly a breath of wind.

We had accepted an earlier invitation from Brian to join him for lunch at the Hunter River Lions Club.

Again this year the Hunter River Lions & Lioness demonstrated their small town big hearts treating us all to a great spread of food. A big pot of Chili was surrounded by sandwiches, homemade biscuits & jam, vegies & dip, cheese & crackers & sweets. The warmth & the food will certainly get Brian up that big hill out of Hunter River and carry him to Pleasant Valley, where he was ending his day today. Last year we met up with Brian shortly after his Hunter River Lions Club lunch and he was still talking about it. Now I see why. This kind of hospitality along the way can make such a difference on a trek like this - the food, the support and the donations show that your message is being heard and you are truly raising folks' awareness. That's what makes walks like Brian's a "success" and success can carry a person a long way. Hats off to the Hunter River Lions Club!

These guys are all too aware of the gift of life that organ donation is. Three of them have had kidney transplants and one is on dialysis. Four guys very much alive because of organ donation and/or the research of the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Trent, Rob, Brian & Bruce

FACING THE FACTS
Includes Highlights from the Canadian Organ Replacement Register*

** Kidney disease can strike anyone at any age.

** An estimated 2 million Canadians have kidney disease, or are at risk.

** Each day, an average of 14 Canadians learns that their kidneys have failed.

** If kidney failure is not treated, people die within days or weeks.

** In 2005, there were 32,375 Canadians on renal replacement therapy and this number is expected to double over the next 10 years.

** Over half of all new patients in 2005 were 65 years or older.

** The three leading causes of kidney failure in new patients are:

• Diabetes 35%;
• Renal Vascular Disease (including high blood pressure) 19.5%;
• Glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the tiny filters in the kidney which clean the blood) 11.5%.

** Among the 32,375 patients on renal replacement therapy on December 31, 2005:

• 12,654 or 39% had a functioning transplant;
• 19,721 or 61% were on dialysis.

** Among the 19,721 patients on dialysis at year-end 2005:

• 16,047 or 81% were on hemodialysis.
• 3,674 or 19% were on peritoneal dialysis.

** The sale and purchase of organs for transplant is illegal in Canada.

** Of the 4,240 Canadians on the waiting list for a transplant (as of December 2006), 3,075 were awaiting a kidney transplant.

** Of the 1,202 kidney transplants performed in 2006, 40% were from living donors.

** Since 1964, The Kidney Foundation has awarded more than $80 million to support kidney-related research.

** In the 2007-2008 competition year, 63 research awards were granted for a total of almost $3 million.

*Includes dialysis data up to December 31, 2005 and transplantation data up to December 31, 2006.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada www.kidney.ca Prepared by the Communications Department National Office

Previous Posts:

• Walk4Life - another Tip-to-Tip story
• Kidney recipient ready to walk tip to tip again
• Brian Ellis Starts His Walk 4 Life Tomorrow

Brian's Blog -- http://walk4life.wordpress.com
Brian's Blog Post on our walk with him -- Charlottetown to Pleasant Valley

One of the most popular races on the PEI RoadRunner schedule every year is the Dairy Queen / Source For Sports Bunny Hop, a fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation. PEI RoadRunner members and Island runners come out in great numbers for this run every year (it was the 31st running of the Bunny Hop earlier this month).

http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=127727&sc=118

Councillor gets time off to donate kidney

AL MACLEOD
The Journal Pioneer

TIGNISH — Tignish Community Council has unanimously agreed to overturn an earlier motion and grant its administrator extended sick leave.
Karen Gaudet-Gavin, who has served about 34 years in the community, is donating one of her kidneys and is scheduled for surgery on April 21.
The council initially had concerns over how residents would view giving sick leave for a personal decision to have surgery but decided to give her the requested time off after consulting them, said community chair Elmer Arsenault.
“We appreciate her decision. Council had its mind made up (to allow the time off) as soon as they sat at the table,” said Arsenault.
Gaudet-Gavin will be given six weeks, which will count against her sick day allotment for the year and her accumulated days from previous years.

Brian Ellis Starts His Walk 4 Life Tomorrow

Brian Ellis' Walk 4 Life

"I’LL BE ON THE ROAD AT 8:00 AM TOMORROW MORNING TO BEGIN MY WALK…STARTING AT EAST POINT. "

Alex & I will be joining Brian on his walk Tuesday, April 22nd when he passes through Hunter River.

Join Brian, on his walk and/or on his blog at http://walk4life.wordpress.com/

Kidney recipient ready to walk tip to tip again

Walk4Life - another Tip-to-Tip story

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.

~*~

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

Walk4Life - another Tip-to-Tip story

Today Alex and I just had the great pleasure of meeting, and taking a few steps with, Brian Ellis. Brian is on Day 5 of his 2nd annual tip-to-tip Walk4Life. He left East Point on Saturday, April 21st and is planning on seeing the North Cape lighthouse Sunday, April 29th. Here is Brian, telling his story:

Welcome to My 2nd Annual Walk!
Monday April 16th 2007,

Hi;

My name is Brian Ellis. I have a long history of serious kidney disease. In 1998, shortly after moving to Prince Edward Island, my family doctor finally decided to end the mystery of my elevated blood pressure. My blood pressure had been uncontrollable since I was 18 years old.

Upon receiving a battery of tests at the PCH, including an ultrasound on my kidneys, it was determined that I had chronic kidney failure. To confirm his findings, my doctor sent me to Halifax. After seeing a number of doctors there, and going through more testing, they sadly told me that I was down to 25% function in both kidneys and my future held the certainty of dialysis.

The next few years of my life changed dramatically as my doctors and I worked together to prolong the inevitable through diet, fluid restrictions and medication. In 2005, I was told I could no longer work and that dialysis was needed to sustain my life. I was 45 years old.

After 5 months in Halifax, receiving dialysis treatment and preparing the life line in my left arm, I returned to Prince Edward Island. Here I underwent dialysis three days a week, 4 hours a day. BUT! There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, I was a good candidate for a transplant because of my age and I had no other health complications. My sister was tested to see if she could be a donor but, to her dismay she was not able to be my donor. On the cadaver list I went.

To my surprise and overwhelming delight, I received the call on August 14^th, 2006. I was to get to Halifax as soon as possible for they had a new kidney for me.

So, we scurried off. I received my transplant and it was a great success. I thank God, my doctors, the nurses, social workers, but most of all I thank my donor family. Without the gift I received from this family and their loved one, I don't know how much longer I would or could have waited to receive my special gift of life. I want to Thank-you from my heart and soul.

Please! Give The Gift Of Life!

My father, Alex's grandfather, was a dialysis patient. Initial tests showed I was a good match to donate a kidney to him and some preparations were made, but his health complications prevented that transplant from ever happening. May 1st, two days after Brian reaches North Cape, will be the 11th anniversary of my father's death. As well, in 2006 my mom had to have a kidney removed. She is in good health with her one remaining kidney. With that kind of family history and having done the tip to tip trip ourselves, Brian was one guy we just had to meet.

When my dad went through his years of dialysis, he lived in New Brunswick (where my mom still lives). I remember how, even after dialysis started, he was still able to come to PEI in the summer and visit his young grandchildren because a dialysis unit was set up at Marco Polo Land Campground to accommodate summer visitors on dialysis. So I was shocked to learn from Brian today about the realities of Islanders on dialysis. The shortage of dialysis chairs, the waiting list just to have dialysis on PEI, then having to travel to either Charlottetown or Summerside for it (especially if you live in East Point or North Cape) blew me away. As John Gallant explains in a Journal Pioneer article today:

"“It was like a part-time job that I had to go to and I hated it,” he explained.
Three times a week he headed out for about five hours of hemodialysis. Four hours on the machine and another half-hour each to get hooked and unhooked. Then the rest of the day feeling exhausted."

Add travel time to that (especially if you live in East Point or North Cape) and be very, very, glad that that is not *your* life.

The other story here is the fact that with so many Islanders in need of kidneys (and other organs & tissues), if you've signed a donor card, you'de better plan to die somewhere other than PEI because we have no team here to remove your organs & tissues for donation.

"In this three-part (CBC) series, Nancy Russell explores what makes it so difficult to donate organs on P.E.I., and some of the repercussions."

April 22-29 is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week in Canada and Brian is out there raising that awareness in his own step by step, person by person, way. He certainly made me aware of a few things. Thank you Brian. Thanks also to PEI's media that are doing a great job of covering Brian's Walk4Life and keeping us posted on his daily schedule and to his sponsors for helping him make this all possible. Alex & I both know from experience how important & appreciated this kind of support is. We also know first hand the generosity of Islanders and trust they will be at least as supportive of Brian's Walk as they were of Alex's Run.

We met Brian today on the windy hills of Hunter River. Where we took the "byway" (the Trail), Brian is taking the "highway" (literally). We travelled only a few steps of his long walk with him but it was an absolute pleasure to meet him, to talk with & learn from him, to see the big smile on his well tanned face and shake his hand. It was a joy to celebrate life with you Brian, we wish you all the best, in your Walk and in your life.

Tomorrow Brian will pass through Kensington, the heart of PEI, walk on into Summerside, and end his day in Miscouche. If you're in Summerside, go meet him on the boardwalk and show your support. Visit Brian's Walk4Life page and make a donation and "Please! Give The Gift Of Life!"

Unfortunately my camera was set to video when this picture was snapped.
Brian's team got one on their camera so watch his site
and maybe we'll show up over there.