American Kidney Fund Activates Disaster Relief Program to Support Dialysis and Post-Transplant Patients Affected by Hurricane Ida

ROCKVILLE, Md. (August 30, 2021) – The American Kidney Fund (AKF), the leading nonprofit working on behalf of 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, has activated its Disaster Relief Program to provide $200 emergency grants to dialysis and post-transplant patients in Louisiana who have been affected by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on Sunday as a category 4 hurricane. AKF's Disaster Relief Program is the nation's only rapid-response system that provides emergency financial assistance to dialysis and recent transplant patients.

When disaster strikes their communities, AKF disaster relief grants help kidney patients replace lost medications and special renal diet foods, pay for temporary housing and transportation to treatment, and replace clothing and personal essentials lost due to the natural disaster or the need to evacuate with short notice.

Louisiana dialysis and recent kidney transplant patients who need emergency financial help should contact a social worker at their dialysis clinic for information on applying for aid or submit an application directly at gms.KidneyFund.org.

"Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ida, create further challenges for dialysis and post-transplant patients on top of keeping themselves and their families safe, such as making arrangements to continue receiving their life-sustaining treatments," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "With individual resources already spread thin 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of these natural disasters could be devastating for many. Our Disaster Relief Program helps to relieve some of the financial burdens patients face in the wake of disaster."

AKF's website provides emergency resources for patients effected by Hurricane Ida. AKF additionally has general emergency preparedness information for dialysis and post-transplant patients at KidneyFund.org/disaster-prep. This page includes information about the 3-Day Emergency Diet Plan for dialysis patients. By following this plan, kidney patients can help reduce waste buildup in their bodies if they have to miss or delay their dialysis treatments.

AKF has been providing emergency disaster financial assistance to kidney patients throughout all the major disasters that have struck the United States and its territories for the past two decades. In 2020, AKF provided $62,000 in disaster relief grants to 333 patients affected by Hurricanes Laura and Sally and the Oregon wildfires. AKF also activated its Coronavirus Emergency Fund in March 2020 and has provided over $3.1 million in assistance to nearly 13,000 low-income dialysis and transplant patients during the pandemic.

To make a contribution to AKF's Disaster Relief Program to assist kidney patients affected by Hurricane Ida, visit AKF's online donation page. 100% of all donations go directly to patients affected by Hurricane Ida. AKF is covering the cost of grant processing and check distribution to ensure that the maximum number of patients in need receive the support they so desperately need.