Deserving cause for kidney patients
Sandton – Kidney Beanz is an organisation that provides a life-changing service for children with kidney disease. Find out how you can get involved.
Children with life-threatening kidney disease often find it very difficult to live normal lives due to the huge impact that their illness has on them and their family.
The Kidney Beanz Trust was established to provide comprehensive care for them. This includes psychological support and financial advice and also equips the children and their families with the skills needed to cope with the heavy demands of chronic dialysis.
Situated at Mediclinic Morningside in Sandton, The Kidney Beanz Trust was started in 2007 when Dr Errol Gottlich noticed that although his patients were receiving the best medical care possible, they needed much more. The children started receiving therapy and education and were given transport and medical levies for their treatment. The little patients and their families responded very well.
“It is vital that children are dialysed in a dedicated child-friendly hospital environment,” says Kidney Beanz founder and specialist paediatric nephrologist, Dr Errol Gottlich.
In March 2015, the Kidney Beanz Trust opened its second support structure at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Joburg. They now provide transport money for those in need and have employed extra nursing staff, as well as a social worker.
Fresenius Medical Care South Africa manages the dialysis unit and provides both haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis for patients who develop kidney failure.
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Since the inception of the trust in 2007, a total of 67 children have successfully received transplants and many more have been beneficiaries of the trust. Of the 67, one child has had a combined kidney and pancreas transplant and nine children have had combined kidney and liver transplants.
Kidney Beanz has had phenomenal success over the past decade. However, it is a known fact that sponsorships come to an end because sponsors cannot guarantee that they will be able to continue donating.
In the interim, a project has been created to sustain the trust. It is called the 100’s Club. With a target of R100,000 and with donations starting at R100 per month per member, the trust can become sustainable. All that is required, is that as many people as possible should sign up and donate to this worthy cause.
Do you want to help this worthy cause? Visit www.kidneybeanz.co.za for more information.
