Dialysis patient blanket drive

During the month of December, the National Kidney Foundation of Upstate New York is hosting the second Warm Bodies, Warm Hearts Dialysis Patient Blanket Drive.

Healthy kidneys remove waste products from blood. When kidneys fail, patients need dialysis treatments three times a week for four-hour sessions to cleanse their blood. The body temperature of many dialysis patients drops while they are receiving dialysis because blood is taken from their bodies to be filtered by the dialysis machine, then returned at a lower temperature.

During these life-saving treatments patients often feel chilly, but report that a blanket would help warm their bodies and hearts. The National Kidney Foundation is seeking donations of new, soft blankets for dialysis patients to cover up with during dialysis treatments.

Call the National Kidney Foundation at (585) 264-0420 for information on how to give the gift of warmth this holiday season. New blankets can be delivered to the National Kidney Foundation offices, 3300 Monroe Avenue, Suite 100D. Blanket donors will receive a free gift acknowledgment card.

There are over 1,300 patients on dialysis in Monroe and surrounding counties, and over 250 on the kidney transplant waiting list at the University of Rochester Medical Center.