The Iya foundation provides support efforts and outreach to low income and uninsured patients through a variety of outreach programs and financial resources.
A teacher by profession, Anna Biaka is a stage 5 End-Stage Renal Disease patient and recipient of the 2014 Iya Foundation Financial Assistance Award. During a visit to the United States, Anna was diagnosed with Kidney Failure.
She had been suffering from High Blood Pressure, which even though managed, her kidneys still failed as a result of the HBP damaging them. This was very hard on her and she was in denial, unable to believe the fact that she would have to depend on dialysis or a transplant to stay alive. Even harder was the fact that she would have to remain in the United States to start treatment, leaving behind her job and family in Buea Cameroon, where she worked as a teacher.
This was a huge and drastic move for Anna, who would now be living in a strange land, sick and unable to work. The financial burden were overwhelming for her. Although Anna has some health coverage, she was unable to meet other expenses due to her lack of a steady income.
Reaching out to the Iya Foundation, she was awarded financial assistance to help elevate the financial burden that came as a result of her kidney failure. Anna is very thankful to the Iya Foundation for having selected her as one of the recipients.
‘I was very happy, elated, and appreciative of all the efforts put by TIF in making this happen. I wish to thank you all for this award and hope to be connected to your foundation by joining the advocacy to help raise awareness about kidney disease. I count myself blessed to have been chosen for this award. I hope to work with you for the support of kidney disease patients’; says Anna who plans to use the award to help with purchasing her medications with ease, paying her bus fare to and from the dialysis center, and in affording the types of foods she needs to be eating in coping with dialysis.
Anna congratulates the Iya Foundation for the giant step it is taking to increase awareness of kidney disease, reaching out to patients, giving them hope, improving lives, and letting them know that is not the end of their lives but a beginning of a new life style.
Anna plans to visit her home country of Cameroon in the near future and to reach out to other kidney patients battling kidney disease by giving them hope to live a healthy life, as well as educate them on being compliant with treatment.
Anna’s advice to other dialysis patients is that ‘diagnosis of kidney disease is not the end of one’s life but the beginning of a new life style – manageable with proper treatment, awareness, and education on the disease to empower and be better able to combat the disease. She further advises them to be compliant with treatment, eat moderately and healthily, and to drink less fluids to avoid retention and over load which could lead to heart problems.
The Iya Foundation is glad this assistance will be of significant help to Anna’s her day to day struggle in living with ESRD.
Denis is a 42 year old Cameroonian-American husband; father of three, and recipient of the 2014 Iya Foundation financial assistance award. A policy writer by profession, Denis has been unable to work due to End Stage Renal Disease.
Denis lost his kidneys as a result of Diabetes and later on High Blood Pressure. Initially diagnosed with diabetes in 1997, Denis managed the disease with medications and dieting until 14 years later in 2011, when he developed edema in his feet and ankles. A visit to the doctor confirmed that he was suffering from kidney failure. Denis had to resort to dialysis treatment in order to stay alive.
‘I go to dialysis 3 times a week; I get too weak that I am unable to work. I have uncontrolled nausea and vomiting’, says Denis who is currently undergoing in-clinic hemo dialysis therapy and currently on the transplant list.
The Iya Foundation was able to award Denis a financial assistance award to help him resolve some of his financial burden, especially having to depend solely on his wife’s income. ‘I have financial difficulties in meeting up with my daily dose of nepro (protein); but thanks to TIF, I will be able to afford my full supply now’, says Denis who was very appreciative of his award, stating he was ‘very happy because it was the very first time getting an assistance from any kidney association’.
As an advise to other dialysis patients, Denise emphasized the importance of complying with required medications and being watchful of fluid intake. He plans to become an advocate for kidney disease and make more people be aware of the disease.
‘I am absolutely excited and privileged to be chosen by the Iya Foundation grant committee as a recipient for financial assistance to relieve some of my financial burden as I battle kidney disease’, says Ethel Ekole.
In 2011, Ethel was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease which later damaged her kidneys and eventually led to kidney failure, causing her to depend on dialysis to stay alive. Currently undergoing the home dialysis therapy – peritoneal dialysis, Ethel has to connect herself to a dialysis machine every night for ten hours just to be able to survive each day.
As a result of her health, Ethel feels tired all the time, and suffers from poor appetite. She has to undergo weekly doctors and lab appointments. Being a mother and student, Ethel faces a lot of financial hardship, especially as she is unable to work due to her ill health.
Ethel applied to the Iya Foundation financial assistance to help resolve some of her urgent financial needs; pay off some pending bills, buy her medication with ease, and be able to eat healthier foods.
Ethel would like the world to know that kidney disease is a life-threatening disease and early detection is the key to a long life. Her advice to other dialysis patients is to apply for kidney transplant early enough before reaching end-stage in order to reduce the wait time on the transplant list, which is about five years. She advises other patients to not allow their illness to be their limitations, stating that they can still pursue their dreams in life and make the best out of their situation. They should live a happy life by doing what they love most as every day unfolds.
Ethel is currently on the transplant list and hopes that someone would come forward and donate a kidney to her; ‘precious gift of life’ (Ethel). Click on the following link to read more about Ethel, and see how you can be of support to her http://www.gofundme.com/aq4xho.
Despite her ill health, Ethel continues to excel as a nursing student, and focuses on raising her 6-year old daughter, as welas taking care of her ill mother.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you; my family and I really appreciate this package … especially at this time of great need”, chanted Ethel on receiving her check.
Mama Helen has been hospitalized since January 2014 due to high blood pressure that led her to suffering a stroke. She also suffers from Diabetes which was well-managed for 25 years, but eventually brought damage to her kidneys, causing them to fail.
Mama Helen developed diabetes when she began drinking heavily after the husband she married when she was only 17 years of age decided to leave her and remarry another woman. Currently, Mama Helen struggles with edema due to water retention, surgery wounds that won’t heal properly due to diabetes, and bed sores due to lack of immobility as a result of being bedridden. Severely ill, Mama Helen is in the process of applying for medicaid to help provide for the regular medical care she desperately needs.
With the financial assistance from the Iya Foundation, Mama Helen hopes to pay for a nurse to accompany her from the hospital to her home so that she can spend Thanksgiving weekend at home with family.
Upon recovery, Mama Helen hopes to share her story in order to inform and educate others on the relationship between diabetes and kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy). Diabetes is the number one leading cause of kidney disease.
Mamie (as she’s fondly called) advices others to manage their Diabetes and Hypertension properly (HBP), as it leads to kidney failure. Mamie thanks the Iya Foundation very much for their support, and says she “really appreciates the assistance”.
“I write to inform you how I profoundly appreciate your kind gesture towards me and my family. The amount will go a long way in relieving me in meeting my medical bills post renal transplant. May God continue to assist you in executing the missions and visions of the project” says Olajide, a recipient of the 2014 Iya Foundation financial assistance award.
50-year old Olajide of East Hanover NJ is a physician, but has been unemployed since he was diagnosed with Kidney Disease in 2012. Olajide’s kidneys failed as a combination of diabetes and high blood pressure, which happen to be the two leading causes of kidney failure.
As a result of Olajide’s ill health, he was unable to work and had to depend on his wife working 2-3 jobs at a time to provide for him and their 3 kids. Oladije also applauds his church for all the financial support rendered to them.
‘Laboratory charges are killing me due to the many tests requested’, says Olajide who hopes to use the financial assistance support from the Iya Foundation to settle some of his medical bills. Olajide plans to work at the dialysis center to advocate and counsel patients in the nearest future, and advises other dialysis patients to stay compliant with their medicines and dialysis treatments and to stay active.