Misty Dudley of Chatham has had her fair share of health issues but she never lets that stop her from giving back and creating awareness when she can.
On Sept. 9, Dudley will be walking in the non-competitive pledge-based Chatham-Kent Kidney Walk, being held at Kingston Park in Chatham. She is this year’s Kidney Walk Ambassador.
Dudley is a dialysis patient. Diagnosed with kidney problems at the age of 19, Dudley was only 23 years old when she started dialysis.
She has what is called Reflux. Reflux is a condition in which the kidneys are scarred because of an abnormal flow of urine from the bladder backwards into the kidney.
At first, she was on a type of dialysis called Peritoneal in which waste and water from the blood is removed through the peritoneal cavity. However, after contracting an infection called peritonitis, she switched to Hemodialysis, a treatment in which the blood passes through a dialyzer to remove waste and water.
Now 31 years old, Dudley is working on trying to get back on the transplant waiting list, after complications she endured when she was 26. For the most part, she feels good, however, she is tired a lot and her appetite is very poor.
Dudley has been participating in the Kidney Walk since it first came to the Chatham-Kent area in 2012 and each year her team grows. Last year she had 28 supporters walk with her.
“I do this to make a difference for kidney patients who can’t do it for themselves. I don’t just do this for me,” she said in a release.
To date, she has raised $594 and is still going strong.
To learn more about the Kidney Walk and how you can pledge Dudley or join the Walk, visit www.kidneywalk.ca.
