A ray of hope for dialysis patient

A ray of hope for dialysis patient

Date: 2007-07-12
Author: Lindsey Cole

'I could never afford to go away and have this treatment. This (dialysis) makes things so hard to do. Times are hard when you are a single parent.'

The sound of the dialysis machine hums throughout the room in the dialysis unit of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
Debbie Roberts sits amongst the machines, her pink shirt standing out among the rest of the people. However, her age is what makes her unique.
At 48, Ms Roberts seeks treatment three times a week for four hours a time to deal with a kidney problem. She has been in treatment since October 2006.
She suffers from small, underdeveloped kidneys, which are about the size of a 10 year old’s, she says.
Dialysis is saving her life, but consumes it at the same time, she says.
“It’s not something you could really ever get used to. Sometimes it feels like life is over.”
The only thing that keeps her going she says are her four children and five grandchildren.
However, what may seem like a dire situation has just seen a new ray of hope. While it is not a cure for Ms Roberts it is a chance for a much needed vacation with her family.
This is where the Lion’s Camp Dorset enters into the scene.
Thanks to the nurses at the PRHC dialysis unit, and their 50/50 draws, Ms Roberts along with two other patients from the hospital are able to go to Camp Dorset, near Huntsville, for a week-long camping trip, complete with its own dialysis clinic.
“It’s only because of the nurses here that we’re going,” she says her brown eyes lighting up with excitement.
“This is the first family vacation we’ve ever gone on. We’ve never had the opportunity to go anywhere.”
While at the hospital Ms Roberts was handed a cheque from one of the nurses for $550. This will fund her trip, but more importantly it will allow her to stay healthy.
“I could never afford to go away and have this treatment. This (dialysis) makes things so hard to do. Times are hard when you are a single parent.”
The week-long trip offers a variety of activities from swimming lessons to massage therapy, but the key to it all is the dialysis clinic. The unit provides guests in renal failure with their treatment three times a week, but also allows them to get back to nature and enjoy the outdoors.
Ms Roberts leaves this Sunday, along with two others from the PRHC, one patient from Cobourg and another from Lindsay.
They will stay in cabins and have access to unlimited resources, all made possible by the Lions and Lioness Clubs of Ontario as well as the Kidney Foundation.
It is something Ms Roberts can’t wait to experience.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” she says.
“It gives us time together because you never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next.”

http://www.mykawartha.com/article/12962