The flooding caused indirectly by Hurricane Joaquin precipitated devastating loss for the people of Columbia — both millions of dollars in property loss and incalculable human loss.
Columbia has begun to help rebuild what was lost, while simultaneously helping those whose lives were directly affected by the flooding.
However, victims of the storm’s devastation who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) are in a potentially life-threatening situation.
According to the National Kidney Foundation (NFK), the flooding has cut off dialysis treatment to many suffering CKD. Carolina students, alumni, Columbia residents or their loved ones could be in need of treatment and unable to access it. The NKF is advising that CKD patients in need reach out to Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) — an organization that is currently offering dialysis treatments at various Columbia locations for CKD patients.
“The need to connect people with information and resources is so great now,” Gary Renville, NKF vice president of field services, said in a press release.
For some CKD patients, dialysis is necessary three times a week for five hours at a time. The dialysis treatment serves as an artificial kidney to patients in that it filters toxins from their blood, a function their kidneys can no longer perform.
A stunning one in eight South Carolinians currently suffer from kidney disease, some of whom have not yet been diagnosed. The NKF works to provide resources such as free screenings and educational seminars in the Carolina community to help with early diagnosis of kidney disease.
KCER can be contacted on their website or by phone. Visit http://kcercoalition.com/ or call 800-524-7139 for treatment information and http://kcercoalition.com/kcer-home/important-kcer-links-for-patients/ or call 866-901-3773 for their patient section.
“Our staff is facing crisis management and are deeply concerned about the after effects of the storms on our patients and the local community,” Stephani Tucker, Executive Director of NKD for the Carolinas, said. “As we work within the community, we are available to help direct and encourage all to access our materials and resources at www.kidney.org.”