A Victoria resident who donated her kidney to a stranger is gearing up for a 100-kilometre walk in Alberta in an effort to raise money and raise awareness for kidney disease.
Starting on Sept. 6, Sandra Jupp will be joining hundreds in walking 100 kilometres over three days for the annual Kidney March in Kananaskis, Alta.
Last summer, she came across a social media post from someone she used to go to school with whose husband was in desperate need of a kidney. She decided to go through the process of testing and she was a match, but around the same time, someone in the same hospital also had a match, so she went ahead and found another match through Kidney March.
In August, she moved to the top of the wait-list and donated her left kidney to a complete stranger.
鈥淚 still pinch myself some days. I go through waves, it was definitely emotional,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard not knowing who the person is that received my kidney, but just knowing that I was able to extend their life by another 15 to 18 years, it鈥檚 something very special and I鈥檒l hold it very dearly.鈥�
She said she had six weeks of recovery and she now feels like she鈥檚 living with both kidneys again, and has been training for the walk for a few months.
鈥淚 probably would have had some harder decisions on determining whether this is something I could financially do, being off work for six weeks, not working full time with a house, and bills and two children,鈥� she said.
Because she works for the provincial government, 91茄子 Public Service was able to pay her wages while she was in recovery.
鈥淚 think she鈥檚 really brave and I鈥檓 really proud of her,鈥� said Jupp鈥檚 10-year-old daughter, Jordyn.
, with a goal of $2,200 and she鈥檚 part of a collective of marchers called the Sole Sisters and The Misters who are looking for a total of $50,000 in donations.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty close to my personal goal, so I鈥檓 very happy about that. We have up until 30 days after the actual march to to submit all of our donations so I鈥檓 not quite sure where we鈥檙e at time-wise, but I鈥檓 hopeful that we鈥檒l we鈥檒l get the support that we鈥檙e looking for this year,鈥� she said.
For more information or to donate, visit https://kidneymarch.ca.
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