Having the option to go camping or having a holiday by the seaside … most of us Aussies would take it for granted. But not if you need regular kidney dialysis just to survive.
Imagine you can never ever go on holiday. Not even for a simple camping holiday.
This is the stark reality for many people who rely on regular dialysis to survive, which is why we launched our Big Red Kidney Bus service in 2014.
The Big Red Kidney Bus is a dialysis centre on wheels. We have two of them. They visit popular Aussie holiday locations throughout the year. We publish where they’ll be in advance, so that people on dialysis can book their holidays around the bus.
People like 23-year-old Grant, who went camping for the first time in his life thanks to the bus.
“I spend about four hours on dialysis three times a week. So organising a holiday is a bit crazy. A lot of people on dialysis just avoid it. But it’s easy with the Big Red Kidney Bus. You know where it’s going to be and you book your holiday around it. I went camping with my brother. We set up the tent 100 metres from the bus. So I just rolled out of bed, walked onto the bus, had my dialysis, then I was back on holiday again when I stepped off. It was great.”
We're $45,000 short of keeping the Big Red Kidney Bus on the road this year.
Donate today and help keep this free service running.
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For people like Grant who have kidney disease and require haemodialysis several times a week, going on a holiday is not straightforward. The Big Red Kidney Bus often the only way people with kidney disease can escape from the everyday grind and make precious holiday memories.
There are three dialysis stations, so three people at once can receive their treatment. And there’s lots of room for family and friends to keep them company at the same time. As soon as they finish their treatment, people jump off the bus and go back to enjoying their well deserved break.
Your gift to Kidney Health Australia today will help keep the Big Red Kidney Bus on the road, and help people on dialysis and their families and carers enjoy a special holiday. Without kind hearted people like you, we wouldn't be able to offer this free service. Thank you so much.