Pointe-Claire (Quebec) – November 13, 2014 – It is mere coincidence that the words “daily” and “dialysis” are so similar, but for Beaconsfield resident Harold Murdock, it would be doubly difficult to go through his dialysis treatments at a downtown hospital. Thanks to the relatively-new hemodialysis unit in the ambulatory-care centre at the Lakeshore General Hospital (LGH), Harold Murdock is able to take a short car ride to the LGH, rather than endure the hour-and-a-half drive downtown – and thanks to the great care he has received at the Lakeshore unit, his family is going to bat for him – and other patients like him.
Dollars for Dialysis dream divulged
“The staff and nurses at the Lakeshore General Hospital have been so great, and instead of having to go downtown, I am able to go to the Lakeshore. I live seven minutes from the hospital”, he said.
Harold Murdock endures dialysis treatments for four-and-a-half to five hours a day, three days a week – and a project that his kids are embarking on has the ambitious goal of pumping even more funds into the hemodialysis unit that has helped their dad – and their mom, Shirley, as well – so much. Inspired by their parents’ struggles, and hoping to help others like him, Harold’s kids, Debra and Danny hatched the idea of raising some money to help other patients like their father. Danny Murdock lives in North Carolina with his wife Kathryn and their three daughters, Brittany, Vanessa and Heidi.
Danny is a passionate runner, so he and his daughter Brittany have decided to run more than 78 km in four days next January in the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge, a gruelling set of four foot races at increasing distances: 5k, 10k, 21.1-kilometre half-marathon and a full 42-kilometre marathon on the fourth day. Danny’s youngest daughter Heidi and wife are running the 5- and 10-kilometre races, the middle daughter, Vanessa is running the 5K, 10K and half-marathon; but Danny and Brittany are girding themselves mentally and physically for all four races.
Still, Danny said, although he knows that the drain of running that far in that time period will be a challenge, he is excited about it. After all, running is tough, but compared to kidney failure, he said, it’s “not that tough.” “It’s the last day that will be the hardest,” said the North Carolina native, in town late last summer to visit his parents. During a recent visit to the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation office, he said although the running is a challenge, it’s easy to do it when he thinks of what his father has to go through. “It’s mentally very difficult to find it in yourself to get up and run all over again, but it’s a lot easier to do compared to what my dad – and others like him – have to go through most days”, he said.
His sister Debra is in charge of the administration and fundraising aspect of the project. She will be overseeing the request for donations that is set to go out to friends, family and supporters. The family is hoping to raise $5,000 for the Dialysis Clinic. For his part, Harold Murdock is simply appreciative of his kids’ and grandkids’ enthusiasm for the project. “They’re amazing people and I know that they’re going to make this project a big success”, he said.
About the Lakeshore General Hospital (LGH), hemodialysis and kidney failure in Canada
- The LGH recently renovated and expanded the LGH’s hemodialysis unit to provide treatment over and above the 14,000 performed annually at the LGH, including the peritoneal dialysis program, for which the Foundation recently invested in specialized equipment.
- Every day 12 Canadians, on average, suffer renal failure according to the British Columbia Renal Agency.
- The Kidney Foundation of Canada reports that 1 in 10 Canadians suffer from some sort of kidney disease.
To support the Dollars for Dialysis project, or if you have questions, please e-mail Debra Murdock at debra.a.murdock@gmail.com, or simply make a donation directly to the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation and specifying that it’s for Dollars for Dialysis. For more information, please contact the Foundation at 514-630-2081.
