Six Nations Health Services and St. Josephs Community Health Centre will be hosting a Kidney Fair next week in Ohsweken for community members to learn about kidney disease and treatment options for kidney failure. 

Tricia Gill and Richard Orlicki from St. Josephs Healthcare said the on March 29 event at White Pines Wellness Centre will give visitors the opportunity to meet with St. Joseph's healthcare staff, as well as local community members living with kidney failure to share their experience. There will also be discussions surrounding kidney transplant information and the different types of dialysis that patients can do at home.

Gill spoke on the rates at which kidney failure effects Canadians.

"Kidney failure effects 1 in 10 Canadians, and it effects 1 in 3 First Nations people," she said. "Kidney failure effects every aspect of a persons life, your kidney's are responsible for removing excess fluid and removing toxins from your body, and if your kidney's aren't doing that efficiently, it can be pretty challenging."

There is no cure for kidney disease, just treatment options through dialysis and kidney transplants. Gill spoke on the increased rates at which Indigenous people are effected by kidney disease and why that may be.

"First Nations people also have a very high risk of diabetes and diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure. High blood pressure is the number two cause of kidney failure, and First Nations people are also at risk of high blood pressure," she said. "I think First Nations people are less likely to visit the doctor regularly, less likely to be diagnosed early on, by the time they're diagnosed the disease has most likely progressed a little bit more."

Richard Orlicki spoke on the goal of the kidney fair and his hopes to inform community members on the issue and different options for those needing treatment.

"Part of what we want to do is show people the options available to them when they get there, and also to present ways not to get there, we'll have kidney care information, diet information that will help people prolong the functions of their kidney's," he said. "We'll also be talking about the modes of dialysis that we have for example Peritoneal and Home Hemo dialysis, where people can do it in the home rather than travelling to a clinic."

The Kidney Fair will run from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. on March 29 at White Pines Wellness Centre. Interested individuals can contact Tricia Gill for more information by calling (905)-522-1155 Ext. 32618 or by email at TGILL@STJOSHAM.ON.CA

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