A Note from Maddie: Why supporting kidney research is important!

Hello! My name is Maddie McLemore and I am nine years old and I have kidney disease. On June 4, 2006 I went to the doctor because I was really sick. That was the beginning of a summer of doctors and tests. I was so sick all I did was stay in bed. Finally I got better but we still didn’t know what was wrong.

That was the beginning of a new life.

In February 2009, I finally got the news that I was diagnosed with two kidney diseases.

I will hope you will sponsor me in the kidney awareness walk.

Maddie McLemore

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As you can imagine, kidney disease has become an important factor in our life.  If you had asked me about kidneys and how they worked and why they were important and things like that prior to Maddie getting sick, like most people, I would not be able to tell you.  However, today, kidneys and their impact on daily life is a well known topic in our household.

Because of this, our family has chosen to participate in the 4th Annual 2009 DaVita Kidney Awareness Run/Walk^TM to raise awareness about kidney disease. We need your support and encouragement!

Over 26 million adult Americans have CKD and 90% of them do not even know it.  By raising funds and awareness at this event, we are supporting The Kidney TRUST^TM (this year’s event beneficiary) in its mission to provide rapid kidney disease screenings at no charge to thousands of people, many of whom would not have discovered this silent epidemic until it was too late.

Together we can make an even greater impact.

What can you do?

Give. Make a donation to our fundraising campaign by clicking here.

Join Me. I would love to have you join me in this event. Advance registration for the run/walk is free, and we can even get screened for kidney disease by The Kidney TRUST at the event at no charge. Register today.

Spread the Word. Help us raise awareness about kidney disease. Even if you are not registering for the event, you can still create a Fundraising Page. You can then send an email to your friends and family educating them about kidney disease, and giving them a chance to donate too.

Thanks again for your support!

The McLemore Family