Dialysis Patients Affected by Hurricane Matthew Eligible For Financial Assistance from American Kidney Fund
Rockville, Maryland (PRWEB) October 17, 2016 -- As residents of the Southeast continue assessing and recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew, the American Kidney Fund (AKF), the nation’s leading provider of charitable assistance to people with kidney failure, has activated its Disaster Relief Program to provide emergency funds to help dialysis patients in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Any dialysis patient in these states affected by Hurricane Matthew who needs an emergency grant may contact the social worker at their dialysis center or call the American Kidney Fund at 1.800.795.3226.
The wide swath of destruction left by Hurricane Matthew has left tens of thousands of residents of these states displaced or without power, with many communities still under water. AKF’s Disaster Relief Program is a rapid-response system that provides emergency assistance to dialysis patients when disaster strikes their communities. These funds help patients replace medications, food and household items, and pay for essentials such as the cost of fuel or transportation to medical appointments.
“The effects of Hurricane Matthew are reverberating throughout communities in the Southeast, as many residents may be displaced for long periods in the hardest-hit areas. For dialysis patients, Hurricane Matthew’s aftermath presents a serious threat to their ability to get their life-sustaining treatments,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of the American Kidney Fund. “Our Disaster Relief grants provide assistance when it is needed most and help alleviate some of patients’ financial concerns at this stressful time.”
So far this year, AKF has provided over $60,000 in Disaster Relief grants to 241 dialysis patients Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia who were affected by severe flooding. AKF’s largest disaster relief effort occurred after Hurricane Katrina, when more than 5,100 Gulf Coast dialysis patients in 12 states received emergency assistance totaling over $260,000 from AKF, thanks to generous donations from individuals and corporations.
To make a contribution to the American Kidney Fund’s Disaster Relief Program to assist kidney patients affected by the recent floods, as well as to assist patients affected by future disasters, visit KidneyFund.org/disaster-relief.
About the American Kidney Fund
As the nation’s leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 31 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Alice Andors, American Kidney Fund, http://www.kidneyfund.org, +1 (240) 292-7053, [email protected]
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