Participants in the 7th annual Kidney March gathered at the Millarville Race Track to prepare for a 100 kilometre fundraising walk.
Many of them have a personal connection to kidney disease, like Shannon Colle who is walking for the first time, and doing it for her seven year old son Sean.
“He has nephrotic syndrome, and he is currently in remission, but he went through two years of very difficult medications and difficult time and I'm doing this for him,” she said.
20-year-old Austin Duff is waking for his mom Cheryl who just had a transplant.
“So far so good, the kidney is doing awesome, which is great, it's amazing how much of your whole body the surgery effects,” said Cheryl.
Her donor was her husband Stuart, which is rare because there is only a five percent chance a person can be a donor for their own spouse.
Every one of the 300 participants on this frosty Friday morning wears the name of the person they are supporting on their backs. The event has raised $4 million over the last seven years which is used for research and patient programs.
“One in ten Canadians has kidney disease, that's a huge number, the even scarier thing about that is most of them don't know it, because kidney disease sneaks up silently, and progresses without people knowing it,” said Joyce Van Deurzen, Kidney Foundation of Canada.
Participants raised $2,200 to take part in the walk which will take them through Kananaskis country on an emotional journey of healing and support.
