Orlando, FL– February 15th, 2019 – Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a national health care crisis, and Akebia Therapeutics has made it a priority within their company and the community where they do business.
As a part of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Drive for Dialysis corporate volunteer program, employees were also educated about the risk factors for CKD and the importance of early detection. Most of all, they gained a better understanding of why their kidney health is so vital.
While a kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure, dialysis is a current lifeline that provides hope through a challenging time. Understanding that most patients spend up to 12 hours a week receiving treatment, the care packages were intentionally designed to be educational and entertaining. Akebia Therapeutics employees added a personal touch by adorning the packages with hand-written notes with inspirational messages to their neighbors.
The partnership continued when Savanna Lanza, NKFF CEO, personally delivered the packages to Central Florida Kidney Center, a longtime partner of the NKFF. Staff at the dialysis centers welcomed the care packages for their patients with open arms and smiling faces. The timeliness of this partnership is critical. Thanks to Akebia Therapeutics’s support, vital NKFF resources reached the people that need it most.
“NKF and our community partners strive to provide comfort and support through volunteerism,” said Savanna Lanza, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Florida. “Our partnership with Akebia Therapeutics exemplifies that and we are incredibly grateful for their generosity.”
In addition to their partnership in Drive For Dialysis, Akebia Therapeutics also presented the NKF of Florida with a $5,000 check that they requested to be restricted to the NKF of Florida Direct Patient Aid Program. The Direct Patient Aid Program is an additional resource for kidney patients seeking financial assistance for critical items such as food, gas, transportation to treatment, and past due rent and electric bills.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease. For more information about the NKF visit www.kidneyfl.org
Kidney Disease Facts
Thirty million American adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease – and most aren’t aware of it. One in three American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history of kidney failure. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are three times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly one and a half times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure).
