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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, September 18, 2014 | 32 Burloak resident stays positive with Halton Kidney Walk Annual event Saturday will fundraise for Kidney Foundation of Canada by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Health "Connected to your Community" F or three days out of his week, Neil Szeverenyi wakes up, brushes his teeth and goes to dialysis -- his day then starts at noon, he says. Dialysis has become just another part of the 38-year-old Burloak resident's weekly schedule. "It's very difficult," he said of being on dialysis, "but you definitely have to remain positive. I still function normally, however, I just kind of have an obstacle to do every other day." In keeping with his positive outlook, Szeverenyi is taking part, for a second time, in Saturday's (Sept. 20) Halton Kidney Walk in Oakville. "I was down about my situation... (and) a friend of mine told me, `turn your curse into a gift'," he said. "If I can do something positive, spread awareness and collect donations, all by participating in the walk, I feel like I'm doing something good." Celebrating 50 years of care Dialysis patient Neil Szeverenyi watches TV and catches up on messages on his smartphone while receiving treatment at the Halton Healthcare Services dialysis centre The Halton Kidney Walk is one of at Joseph Brant Wellness House in Burlington. The 38-year-old Burloak resident undergoes treatment three times a week for four hours, but remains positive and in fact is more than 40 similar events across participating for the second time in the annual Halton Kidney Walk Saturday (Sept. 20), which helps raise funds for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. | photo by Graham Ontario raising funds for the Kidney Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or www.facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Foundation of Canada, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. dialysis where three times a week, for four "The new Oakville hospital was designed "I always think it's a miracle because I'm beIt takes place at Bronte Creek Provincial hours, he is hooked up to a machine that with the patient experience in mind, from ing kept alive through dialysis." Park, 1219 Burloak Dr., and registration cleans his blood. ensuring accessibility, to bringing family While Szeverenyi is currently on a nationopens at 10 a.m., followed by the walk at 11 Having previously gone to Oakville- into the circle of care, to building a physi- al waiting list for a kidney transplant, he's a.m. Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) for cal space that is bright, comfortable and not putting his life on hold -- he's returned "Doing something that's selfless is always his treatments, he now heads to the Jo- welcoming," according to an HHS spokes- to school to earn his degree in marketing a good thing," said Szeverenyi. seph Brant Wellness House, a satellite di- person. at McMaster University and in June 2012, "It's important because everyone is affected alysis clinic in Burlington, which is closer to "This design philosophy was carried into earned his black belt in Goju-ryu karate. by it, either directly or knows someone who where he lives. The office is part of Halton the creation of the new renal program, with "Dialysis has almost been a blessing in has lost their kidney function... one of the Healthcare Services (HHS). treatment areas in bright, naturally-lit spac- disguise," he said. "If I had never become ill, leading causes of it is diabetes and it's become Nearly two decades since the Renal Ser- es, which offer vistas of the surrounding es- I would have never gone back to school. It an epidemic people should be aware of." vices program was established at OTMH, carpment area. was after I lost my kidney function the first One in 10 Canadians lives with kidney HHS has added a pre-dialysis clinic, addi"The new space allows for easy access time and then (had) my transplant, I said to disease, according to the Kidney Founda- tional treatment stations, the satellite centre from parking, via a climate-controlled corri- myself I need to do something and I need to tion of Canada. in Burlington, and training and support for dor to the program area on the second floor, get healthy, and I went to my brother's black Szeverenyi lost his kidney function in at-home dialysis patients. which features expanded and comfortable belt grading and it inspired me to take it (ka2002 at the age of 27 as a result of complicawait rooms." rate) up." tions from his Type 1 diabetes, which he's Improved program To register for the walk or support a parhad since he was eight, and went on dialysis. The new Oakville hospital boasts it will A lifeline for patients ticipant, visit www.kidneywalk.ca and select His father donated a kidney for a trans- increase its dialysis stations to 57, as the Szeverenyi calls these dialysis treatment Halton Region among the list of locations, plant in 2003 and all was good for the next need increases, which more than doubles centres a lifeline for individuals like himself. or contact Ron Newman, volunteer walk eight years. the currently available treatment areas, as "If we don't have these satellite build- co-ordinator, at newman2@sympatico.ca or Szeverenyi lost his kidney function again well as have more space for training and ings and hospitals (providing dialysis), I Daniela Piotrowski at 1-800-387-4474, ext. in March 2011 and had to be placed back on support for at-home dialysis patients. wouldn't be here speaking to you," he said. 4964 or dpiotrowski@kidney.on.ca.