Kidney disease doesn’t mean you’re forced to live a sheltered life.
That’s the message Mona Hardy, a hemodialysis patient at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, has for chronic kidney disease patients.
The regional hospital celebrated World Kidney Day Thursday afternoon as the Northwest Regional Renal Program launched a film to support decision making for Aboriginal patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
Hardy was one of the volunteers in that locally produced project.
"I want people to realize that you can have a life when you are on dialysis, I speak to a lot of people in the clinic itself and a lot of them don't see a future," Hardy said.
In the video hospital patients share stories about living with kidney disease.
The video features two Aboriginal renal patients, Mona Hardy and Harvey Kakegamic from Thunder Bay and Sandy Lake First Nation, sharing stories about their diagnosis and dialysis treatment choices.
The purpose is to visually illustrate treatment options for kidney disease and to provide guidance for patients going through lifestyle challenges which includes strict dietary restrictions, living situations and family relationships.
Pat Wildbore, renal charge nurse for Northwest Ontario Renal program, said the video is important for not only outlying communities but for anybody wanting to know about renal disease and the options available.
"We want to give them an early opportunity to see what the options are for them, so they know that they can still have a life even though they have renal disease," Wildbore said.
In a media release issued alongside the World Kidney Day celebrations, officials with the hospital said developing patient-centred education tools help enhance education and with chronic kidney disease on the rise amid Aboriginal populations it is important to enhance awareness.
