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.
“I still pinch myself some days. I go through waves, it was definitely emotional,” she said. “It’s 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’s something very special and I’ll hold it very dearly.”
She said she had six weeks of recovery and she now feels like she’s living with both kidneys again, and has been training for the walk for a few months.
“I 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,” she said.
Because she works for the provincial government, B.C. Public Service was able to pay her wages while she was in recovery.
“I think she’s really brave and I’m really proud of her,” said Jupp’s 10-year-old daughter, Jordyn.
Currently, she’s looking for donations, with a goal of $2,200 and she’s part of a collective of marchers called the Sole Sisters and The Misters who are looking for a total of $50,000 in donations.
“I’m pretty close to my personal goal, so I’m very happy about that. We have up until 30 days after the actual march to to submit all of our donations so I’m not quite sure where we’re at time-wise, but I’m hopeful that we’ll we’ll get the support that we’re looking for this year,” she said.
For more information or to donate, visit https://kidneymarch.ca.
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