According to staff with the Ontario Kidney Foundation, roughly one in ten Canadians has some form of renal failure.
In Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, people took to the streets for the annual Kidney Walk.
For Michael Linley, the event holds much meaning for him and his family.
Saturday marks his third straight kidney walk.
He's happy to participate, but that wasn't always the case.
"Three years ago, I was twenty two. I didn't feel like I belonged in a place like this. I didn't feel like I belonged in a category of sick people. Something to that degree." said Linley.
At the time Linley was dealing with a rare kidney disease found only in boys.
He was told if a new organ was needed, it would not be necessary for decades.
Unfortunately, his health took an unexpected turn for the worse and a new kidney was the only answer.
His mom, Paulette Linely, didn't think twice about donating hers to her son.
"No other thoughts were going through my mind, but let’s get him healthy again. Because it was really devastating to see a young boy just sitting at home and being hooked up to a dialysis machine, is not a parent’s dream, not a child's dream." said Paulette.
Michael recalls the moment he found out.
"She called and asked me to come over, to have dinner, talk, and hang out. She just kind of had this look in her eyes. She said ‘well, it’s going to work out.’ So yeah, from there it was really nice. It was something really nice for sure." said Michael.
He is now working for the kidney clothes donation program and says he looks forward to the walk every year.
"One thing I learned from the first year to this year is this, us as a kidney community has become a family too. I've started to learn and realize that it's not just my family who is in this and all the families here today who are in it together." said Michael.
Organizers say the support for Saturday’s walk was fantastic, with 200 people taking part and more than $24,000 raised for the Kidney Foundation. It’s money that will be used to help those suffering from kidney disease.
