ALCER and Specsavers Opticas Support World Kidney Day
Today is World Kidney Day, a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys. By increasing awareness about preventive behaviours, risk factors and living with a kidney disease, the aim is to get kidney health for all. Chronic kidney disease affects 10% of the population, with half of people over 75 having some kind of kidney disease. High blood pressure and diabetes are the most common causes in adults, but by staying fit and healthy, drinking enough fluids and avoiding smoking and too many over the counter medications, you can significantly reduce the risk of getting kidney disease.
The President of Kidney Charity ALCER Jesús Ángel Molinuevo visited Specsavers Opticas in Mallorca on the 8th March to show his thanks for the company’s fundraising campaign ahead of World Kidney Day and share information about kidney disease. Store Director Martin Blake confirmed Specsavers’ commitment to ALCER and shared his story of saving his brother-in-law’s life by donating a kidney. Thanks were also given to the Trefoil Guild in Pinosa for their generous donation of 500€ towards the campaign.
Specsavers Opticas pledged their support for this cause in February, with all the stores raising money for ALCER until 15th March. They have been inspired by Martin Blake, the Director of their Santa Ponça store, who came to the rescue of his brother-in-law and donated a kidney in March 2015. His brother-in-law was seriously ill, receiving dialysis five times a week whilst he waited for a donor and got weaker. Martin bravely put himself forward as a donor and since the transplant has also raised 1,300€ for Kidney Research.
This fundraising drive received a huge boost when the adult guiding association the Trefoil Guild in Pinosa made a donation of 500€ earlier this month. They decided to support a kidney charity in solidarity of one of their members’ daughters who is experiencing kidney failure due to severe Type 1 diabetes and is awaiting a kidney transplant. The family have been really impressed with her medical care and Spain’s pioneering approach of transplanting both the pancreas and kidney without removing the old ones to minimise complications in case of rejection. They wanted to show their thanks by making a donation and were delighted to see Specsavers supporting ALCER
Specsavers Opticas are continuing their fundraising in all eight stores on the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Mallorca until the 15th March. To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es, to find out more about World Kidney Day and how you can get involved visit www.worldkidneyday.org. Information about ALCER and how you can become a supporter can be found on their website www.alcer.org