Saturday 5 October 2024
Some 200 guests were at the at the Ottawa Conference Centre on Coventry Road for the gala hosted by the Rocena Kidney Foundation. In welcoming the guests, Foundation President Maxine Grant, traced the origin of the foundation which arose from her mother contracting kidney disease, an event that had a profound effect on her and led her to set up their charitable organization. With MC Toni Francis guiding the proceedings, the event included a number of important presentations form experts and advocates, with a focus on kidney disease.
Keynote speaker Professor Swapnil Hiremath, a staff neurologist with the Ottawa Hospital, set the stage for his presentation which highlighted the fact that people of African descent, had a higher risk of kidney disease than the general Canadian population. To reduce this risk, he encouraged the community to eat healthy, exercise regularly and have their blood pressure checked regularly by their doctor. He described advances made through research inn the treatment and management of this disease, which include dialysis and kidney transplant as a last resort. He also encourage the community to consider being kidney donors, to help save the lives of people afflicted by this disease.
Guest Speaker, renowned Social Worker, Daniel Afram, Clinical Director of the Umingmak Centre, the first Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Nunavut, which supported children afflicted by childhood trauma. He spoke of the stigma associated with mental illness and advocated that reaching out and seeking help is a sign of strength which adults can pass on to their children.
Kidney transplant recipient, Elikplim Donor, gave a testimonial about his experience with kidney disease, after the arrived from his native Ghana in 2002 to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology at the University of Ottawa. He gave a graphic detail of his fear and anxiety after he received his diagnosis, through dialysis and subsequently a life-saving kidney transplant, emphasizing the need for community members to consider being organ donors for the greater good of those community members afflicted by this disorder.
Entertainment was provided by award-winning spoken word poet, Jamaal Amir Akbari, a dance sequence by the youthful trio Full Body Worship, and crooner and songwriter Andray Duhaney. This was followed by music and dancing with sounds from DJs David Supersound and DJ Kane
Altogether a most enjoyable and inspirational evening!
More info on the Rocena Kidney Foundation: phone 613-327-3406; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: https://rocenakidneyfoundation.ca/
