Joplin, Mo. – A hundred-plus residents – some driving from as far as central Kansas – participated in the Ninth Annual March O’ the Kidney event, which was held inside Joplin’s Northpark Mall.

One hundred percent of funds raised for the event is placed inside the Freeman Dialysis Patient Assistance Fund, which assists area dialysis patients with medications, nutritional supplements, durable medical equipment and transportation to specialty appointments.

“We use that money to help those in our community,” said Teri Williams, Freeman’s Administrative Director of Dialysis Services. “Every penny stays within our department.”

Some patients suffering from chronic kidney disease must go on dialysis. These lengthy treatments – sometimes as much as four hours a day, three days a week – make it difficult for patients to work.

“We can help them get the help that they need,” Williams added.

Dialysis patients and their loved ones walk a mile inside the shopping complex, with many families wearing special t-shirts or holding up signs of family members fighting the disease. Dan Turner Jr., for example, walked in honor of his late father, a kidney dialysis patient himself. His father participated in the first-ever March O’ the Kidney but passed away prior to the second one.

“For dad, it was important to help people who were suffering. Even though he was in pain, he always said there were people worse off than he was, so he wanted to help them,” Dan Turner Jr. said during the event. “Since then, we’ve always wanted to carry that legacy.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy kidneys filter the body’s blood every 30 minutes, removing wastes and toxins. When kidneys begin to fail, excess waste remains inside the body. That can potentially cause additional health problems such as heart disease or stroke.

For more information about Freeman Nephrology & Dialysis Center, visit them at 932 E. 34^th Street or call them at 417.347.8570.